A.  H.  Catlin 


cz^U  ^  <^?^/^ 


SKETCHES  AND  CHRONICLES      ST, 


TOWN   OF   LITCHFIELD, 

CONNECTICUT, 
BISTORICAL,  BIOGRAPHICAL,  AND  STATISTICAL; 


TOGETHER   WITH    A 


COMPLETE  OFFICIAL  REGISTER  OF  THE  TOWN. 


BY  PAYNE  KENYON  KILBOUME,  M.  A., 

SECRETARY   OP    THE   LITCHFIELD   COUNTY    HISTORICAL   AND    ANTIlJl'ARIAN    SOC1ETT 


HARTFORD: 

PRESS  OF  CASE,  LOCKWOOD  AND  COMPANY. 

1859. 


i       •;:■■• 


~ -,      ■ 

B  ^  T  H  '  ■ 

'.WA    T£R  T  OWN 


\- 


*i  byinUteuts  t'hiUidit  J'tnn'1 


■o- 


^  ^  p 

'f\f>y*    - — 

^      ^Z^    of  — 

^     LITCHFIET 

CONN      lQ^ 


't, 


PREFACE. 


The  Town  of  Litchfield  was  first  settled  by  emigrants 
from  Hartford,  Windsor,  Wethersfield,  Farmington  and 
Lebanon,  in  1720-21.  In  1751,  the  County  of  Litch- 
field was  incorporated  and  organized,  and  at  the  same 
time  Litchfield  was  established  as  the  county-seat,  and 
such  it  still  remains.  The  township  is  located  near 
the  centre  of  the  county,  which  occupies  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  State  of  Connecticut.  It  is  agreeably 
diversified  by  hills,  vallies,  mountains,  lakes,  forests  and 
cultivated  fields ;  and  is  inhabited,  for  the  most  part, 
by  an  industrious,  thriving,  intelligent  and  happy  people. 

Thus  much  for  the  information  of  the  stranger  whose 
eye  may  casually  glance  at  this  Preface. 

It  has  been  the  design  of  the  author  of  these  pages, 
to  trace  the  rise  and  progress  of  that  little  settlement 
in  the  wilderness,  during  the  lapse  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  years,  to  the  present  time.  The  history  of  many  a 
town  at  the  West,  tells  of  a  sudden  and  gigantic  growth 
at  which  our  fathers  would  have  marveled.  I  have  no 
such  stories  to  relate.  The  early  history  of  Litchfield  is 
one  of  peril  and  privation — of  patient  industry,  and  slow 
development.  Our  fathers,  the  pioneers  of  this  region, 
were  earnest,  hardy  and  fearless  men,  who,  in  addition 
to  the  labors  of  backwoods-men,  found  abundant  oppor- 


iv  PREFACE. 

trinities  for  the  display  of  their  heroism  in  guarding  their 
humble  fire-sides  from  the  prowling  wolf  and  stealthy 
savage.  The  annals  of  such  a  people,  and  their  succes- 
sors, cannot  be  devoid  of  interest  to  any  one  ;  and  should 
especially  be  cherished  with  the  liveliest  satisfaction  by 
those  who  are  able  to  claim  descent  from  them.  I  have 
long  been  engaged  in  collecting  the  records  and  tradi- 
tions  possessing  a  local  interest,  with  a  view  of  ultimate- 
ly giving  them  to  the  public.  My  "  labor  of  love  "  for 
the  good  old  town  that  gave  me  birth,  is  at  length  con- 
cluded, for  the  present  at  least.  I  trust  the  reader  will 
share,  in  some  small  degree,  the  pleasure  which  the  au- 
thor has  felt  in  gathering  up  and  sending  forth  these 
Memorials  of  the  Past.  Much  more  of  perhaps  equal 
interest,  still  remains  unpublished  ;  but  it  will  be  seen 
that  I  have  already  exceeded  my  promised  limits.  The 
Family  Genealogies  in  my  possession,  and  for  which  I 
had  hoped  to  find  room,  would  alone  fill  a  volume  of  the 
size  of  this.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  work,  especially, 
the  power  of  condensation  has  been  thoroughly  tested. 

I  take  this  opportunity  to  express  my  acknowledg- 
ments to  those  who  have  preceded  me  in  my  field  of 
exploration,  and  whose  footsteps  I  have  sometimes 
found  it  convenient  to  follow.  In  1818,  a  pamphlet  by 
James  Morris,  Esq.,  was  published,  entitled — "  A  Statis- 
tical Account  of  Several  Towns  in  Litchfield  County," 
which  contains  much  valuable  information  relative  to 
this  town.  In  1845,  our  fellow-townsman,  George  C. 
Woodruff,  Esq.,  published  a  History  of  Litchfield  in  a 
pamphlet  of  sixty  pages — an  excellent  work. 

Litchfield,  Conn.,  June  15,  1859.  p.  k.  k. 


INDEX. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Events  in  Connecticut  preceding  the  settlement  of 
Litchfield.  Bantam,  &c. — Reference  to  the  Old  Patent  of  Con- 
necticut; the  Constitution  of  1689  ;  Sir  Edmund  Andros  ;  the  West- 
ern Lands  conveyed  away;  trouble  arising  therefrom;  a  compromise 
effected  ;  earliest  record  relating  to  "  the  New  Plantation  ;"  Indian 
Deed;  List  of  Original  Proprietors  ;  confirming  Act  of  the  Assembly; 
the  word  Bantam;  Lichfield,  in  England;  derivation  of  the  word. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Incidents  of  the  First  Settlement. — First  Town  Meeting ; 
first  list  of  Town  Officers  ;  conditions  annexed  to  the  Deeds  ;  forfeit- 
ed Rights  ;  second  list  of  Town  Officers  ;  first  meeting-house  ;  village 
-i reels  ;  choice  of  home-lots;  capture  and  escape  of  Captain  Gris- 
wold;  President  D wight's  account  of  the  Restored  Captive  ;  murder 
of  Joseph  Harris  by  the  Indians. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Alarms  and  Measures  of  Defense. — Litchfield  in  1723;  list 
of  First  Settlers ;  Garrisons  erected ;  soldiers  sent  to  the  relief  of 
Litchfield  ;  Governor  Taleott's  memoranda  ;  Memorial-  of  the  Bettlers  ; 
Aci>  concerning  non-resident  proprietors  ;  Bounty  for  killing  Indians ; 
Samuel  Beebe'e  testimony;  Petition  of  Rose  and  others  ;  more  sol- 
diers for  the  defense  of  Litchfield  ;  Petition  for  a  Patent ;  Copy  of 
the  Patent. 

(  IIAPTER  IV. 

Miscellaneous  Events. — Condition  of  the  settlers;  Roger  Wol- 
cott ;  guardianship  of  Hartford  and  Windsor;  Bantam  Swamp;  Ed- 
acation  ;  first  School  Bouse;  lease  of  the  School  Right  ;  seating  the 
meeting-house  :  north  and  south  Boundaries  ;  Davies  Hollow  set  oil' 
to  Washington  ;  South  Farms,  Nbrthfield  and  Milton  incorporated  ; 
town  of  Goshen  organized  in  Litchfield;  wild  animals  ;  Litchfield  in 
l760-'78  ;  the  Fisheries  of  Bantam  ;  the  Bantam  Indians;  the  Mo- 


VI  INDEX. 

hawks ;  Indian  Relics  ;  carved  Stone  Image ;  Human  Sacrifices  ; 
Raumaug ;  Parson  Boardman's  Long  Prayer ;  location  of  the  Gar- 
risons ;  orthography ;  the  "West  Burying-Ground ;  John  JMarsh  and 
John  Buel. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Events  Preceding  the  Revolution. — Litchfield  County  or- 
ganized ;  first  County  Officers  ;  opposition  of  Woodbury  ;  Sabbath- 
Day  Houses  ;  the  Acadians  or  French  Neutrals  ;  French  War  ; 
Litchfield  officers  and  soldiers  ;  Roll  of  Captain  McNeile's  company  ; 
Colonel  Beebe  ;  the  Stamp  Act ;  proceedings  of  a  meeting  in  Litch- 
field ;  Revolutionary  preparations  ;  indications  of  Progress ;  high- 
ways to  Goshen  and  Cornwall  laid  out. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Revolutionary  Era. — Proceedings  of  a  town  meeting  ; 
Committees  of  Inspection  appointed  ;  Aaron  Burr ;  Ethan  Allen  ; 
Captain  Beebe's  company  ;  memoranda  relating  to  them  ;  capture  of 
Fort  Washington  ;  terrible  fate  of  the  prisoners ;  Lieut.  Catlin's 
statement ;  the  leaden  statue  of  King  George  brought  to  Litchfield, 
and  cast  into  bullets  ;  account  current ;  Litchfield  officers  and  soldiers  ; 
letters  from  Dr.  Smith  to  General  Wolcott ;  Paul  Peck  killed;  pris- 
oners of  war  in  Litchfield  Jail ;  Governor  Franklin  ;  Mayor  Mat- 
thews ;  the  Episcopalians  and  the  Revolution. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Revolutionary  Era — continued. — Depots  for  military 
stores  and  provisions;  workshops  for  the  army ;  team  sent  here  with 
powder,  shot,  and  lead  ;  General  Wolcott ;  Sheriff  Lord  ;  clothing 
and  provisions  for  the  army  ;  teams  pass  through  Litchfield  for  the 
army  :  votes  in  town  meetings  ;  committees  appointed  ;  Father 
Champion's  Prayer  ;  a  Prussian  General  arrives  in  town  ;  Wash- 
ington visits  Litchfield  ;  anecdotes  and  incidents  ;  desertions  from 
the  enemy  ;  the  Morrises  ;  Gatta,  the  Hessian. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Men  oe  the  Revolution. — Biographical  Sketches  of  Ethan 
Allen,  Elisha  Sheldon,  Oliver  Wolcott,  Andrew  Adams,  Bezaleel 
Beebe,  Jedediab  Strong,  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  Tapping  Reeve,  Mo- 
ses Seymour,  and  Elisha  Mason. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Progress  and  Improvement. — Pastimes  of  our  ancestors  ;  the 
Stolen  Bride  ;  the  Law  School,  and  the  Litchfield  Monitor  ;  anecdote 
of  General  Tracy;  opposition  to  Stoves  in  the  old  meeting-house; 
modes  of  traveling;  the  first  Post  Office  in  this  town  ;  list  of  Letters  ; 
Turnpikes  and  Stage-Coaches  ;  list  of  Postmasters. 


INDEX.  VU 

CHAPTER  X. 

Ecclesiastical  Matters. — First  Society. —  Difficulties  with 
Mr  Collins  ;  votes  relating  thereto  ;  sketch  of  his  history;  settlement 
of  Mr  Champion  ;  building  of  the  second  meeting-house;  first  soci- 
ety organized  ;  votes  al  its  meetings  ;  settlement  of  Messrs.  Bunting- 
ton,  Beecher  and  Carroll  ;  new  house  of  worship  erected;  settlement 
of  Messrs.  Hickok,  Brace,  Swan,  and  Bacon;  officers  of  the  church 
and  society.  Episcopacy. — John  Davies  the  first  Episcopalian  in  the 
town  ;  first  Episcopal  society  organized  ;  lands  given  to  the  society  ; 
church  named  St.  Michael's  ;  the  Davies  family  ;  sketches  of  the 
early  Rectors;  application  for  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  denied;  form- 
ation of  the  "id  Episcopal  society  ;  the  West  Church  erected;  Epis- 
copalians in  Milton  and  Northfield.  Methodism. — Visits  of  Garret- 
son  and  Asbury  to  Litchfield;  Litchfield  Circuit  formed;  list  of  min- 
isters on  the  circuit  ;  names  of  niethodists  in  the  town  in  1805  ;  church 
erected  in  this  village  in  1837  ;  list  of  pastors.      Baptists. 

Biographical  Notes,  188 


APPENDIX. 

Colonial  and  State  Officers;  Chief  Justices  and  Judges  of  the 
Superior  Court  and  Supreme  Court  of  Errors;  Commissioners  of  the 
Superior  Court  ;  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  Litchfield  ;  Judges  and 
Clerks  of  the  Probate  Court;  Judges  of  the  County  Court;  U.  S. 
Senators,  members  of  Congress  'and  members  of  the  Council,  from 
Litchfield  county;  Senators  from  the  15th  District;  County  Officers, 
Borough  Officers,  Town  Officers ;  Prosecuting  Attornies  for  the 
county  ;  Corporations,  Societies  and  Institutions  in  Litchfield  ;  Roll 
of  Representatives,  List  of  Graduates,  Physicians,  &c.  Miscellane- 
ous Articles.     Biographical  Addenda.  201 


HISTORY   OF    LITCHFIELD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EVENTS   IN  CONNECTICUT   PRECEDING    THE   SETTLEMENT   OF   LITCH- 
FIELD.     BANTAM,   ETC. 

In  1630,  about  ten  years  after  the  landing  of  the  pilgrims  on 
Plymouth  Rock,  the  whole  of  the  territory  of  the  present  State 
of  Connecticut  was  conveyed  by  the  Plymouth  Company  to 
Robert,  Earl  of  Warwick.  On  the  19th  of  March  of  the  suc- 
ceeding year,  the  Earl  executed  under  his  hand  and  seal  the 
grant  since  known  as  the  Old  Patent  of  Connecticut,  wherein 
he  transferred  the  same  tract  to  Viscount  Say  and  Seal,  Lord 
Brooke,  John  Hampden,  John  Pym,  Sir  Richard  Saltonstall, 
and  others.  In  the  summer  of  1635,  the  towns  of  Hartford, 
Wethersfield  and  Windsor,  on  the  Connecticut  river,  first 
began  to  be  settled  by  emigrants  from"  the  vicinity  of  Boston 
in  Massachusetts.  Still  a  year  later,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker 
and  his  congregation  made  their  celebrated  journey  through 
the  wilderness,  from  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  to  Hartford, 
where  they  took  up  their  permanent  residence.  In  1637,  the 
Pequot  War  was  begun  and  terminated — resulting  in  the 
expulsion  and  almost  total  annihilation  of  the  most  formida- 
ble tribe  of  Indians  in  the  colony. 

The  first  Constitution  adopted  by  the  people  of  Connecticut 
bears  date,  January  15,  1638-'9.  This  continued  to  form  the 
basis  of  our  colonial  government  until  the  arrival  of  the  Char- 
ter of  Charles  II.,  in  1662,  when  it  was  nominally  superceded. 

Alternate  troubles  with  the  Dutch  and  Indians  kept  the 
settlers,  for  many  years,  in  a  perpetual  state  of  discipline  and 
alarm.  But  while  the  political  commotions  in  the  old  world 
sometimes  agitated  the  other  American  colonies,  the  people  of 
Connecticut  had  from  the  first  felt  that  their  civil  rights  were 
guaranteed  to  them  beyond  the  reach  of  any  contingency.    The 

3 


18  HISTORY    OF  LITCHFIELD. 

Royal  Charter  was  but  a  confirmation  of  privileges  which  they 
had  long  enjoyed.  No  king-appointed  Governor  or  Council 
annoyed  them  by  their  presence  or  oppressed  them  by  their 
acts  ;  but  the  voters  were  left  to  choose  their  own  rulers  and 
enact  their  own  laws.  Indeed,  the  influence  of  the  crown  was 
for  a  long  period  scarcely  felt  in  the  colony.  On  the  acces- 
sion of  James  II.,  however,  in  1685,  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs 
was  changed.  It  was  soon  rumored  that  His  Majesty  had  de- 
termined to  revoke  all  the  charters  granted  by  his  predecessors. 
The  arrival  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros  at  Boston,  in  December 
1686,  bearing  a  commission  as  "  Governor  of  New  England" 
was  an  event  not  calculated  to  allay  the  apprehensions  of  the 
people  of  Connecticut.  His  reputation  was  that  of  a  selfish, 
grasping  despot,  bent  upon  enriching  himself  and  immediate 
friends  at  the  expense  of  the  colonists.  At  this  time,  the 
entire  region  now  known  as  the  County  of  Litchfield,  (except 
a  solitary  settlement  at  Woodbury,  on  its  southern  frontier,) 
was  an  unexplored  wilderness,  denominated  the  Western 
Lands.  To  save  these  lands  from  the  control  and  disposal  of 
Andros,  the  Legislature  granted  them  to  the  towns  of  Hart- 
ford and  Windsor — at  least  so  much  of  them  as  lay  east  of  the 
Housatonic  river.  When  the  usurpations  of  Andros  were 
over,  and  the  charter  had  found  its  way  back  from  the  hollow 
of  the  oak  to  the  Secretary's  office,  the  Colonial  Assembly  at- 
tempted to  resume  its  title  to  these  lands ;  but  the  towns  re- 
ferred to  steadfastly  resisted  all  such  claims.  The  quarrel 
was  long  kept  up,  but  no  acts  of  hostility  were  committed  un- 
til efforts  were  made  to  dispose  of  the  tract.  Collisions  then 
became  frequent.  Explorers,  agents  and  surveyors,  of  one 
party,  were  summarily  arrested  and  expelled  from  the  dispu- 
ted territory  by  the  contestants.  On  one  occasion,  several 
offenders  belonging  to  the  Hartford  and  Windsor  party,  were 
imprisoned  by  the  colonial  authorities.  A  mob  assembled, 
broke  open  the  jail,  and  set  the  prisoners  at  large.  A  com- 
promise followed,  confirming  to  the  towns  and  the  claimants 
under  them,  the  lands  of  Litchfield  and  apart  of  those  of  New 
Milford.  The  other  portions  of  the  territory  were  intended 
to  be  equally  divided  between  the  colony  and  the  claiming 


EXPLORATION  AND  PURCHASE  OF  THE  TOWNSHIP.  19 

towns.      Thus  Torrington,  Barkhamstcd,  Colebrook,  and  a 
part  of  Harwinton,  were  appropriated  to  Windsor  ;  Hartland, 
Winchester,  Xew  Hartford,  and  the  remaining  portion  of  Har- 
winton,  were  given  to  Hartford;   the  other  lands  in  dispute, 
now-  constituting  the  townships  of  Norfolk,  Goshen,  Canaan, 
Kent.  Sharon  and  Salisbury,  were  retained  by  the  colony.     It 
should  be  added,  that  a  small  portion  of  the  township  of  Litch- 
field was  claimed  by  certain  citizens  of  Farmington,  by  virtue 
of  a  deed  of  purchase  from  the   Indians,  dated   August   11, 
1714.     On  the  11th  of  June,  1718,  the  Farmington  claimants 
relinquished  their  rights  to  Hartford  and  Windsor,  and  in  lieu 
thereof  received  one-sixth  of  all  the  lands  of  the  town  in  fee. 
All  business  relating  to  the  Western  Lands  was  transacted 
by  committees  appointed  by  the  claiming   towns  and  by  the 
General  Court.     In  1715,  these  towns  (Hartford  and  Wind- 
sor,) took  the  initiatory  steps  toward  exploring  that  portion  of 
the  western  wilderness  now  embraced  within  our  corporation 
limits,  and  purchasing  whatever  rights  the  natives  possessed, 
or  claimed  to  possess,  to  the  soil.     It  would  be  interesting  to 
know  who  was  the  first  individual  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race 
that  ever  visited  the  localities  so  cherished  by  us  all.     The 
earliest  record-evidence  on  this  point,  is  contained  in  an  entry 
in    the  first  Book  of  Records  in  our  Town   Clerk's  office,* 
which  is  as  follows  : 

"  The  Town  of  Hartford,  Dr. 

To  John  Marsh, 
May  1715,  For  5  days,  man  and  horse,  with  expenses, 

in  viewing  the  Land  at  the  New  Plantation,  £2     0  0 

The  Town  of  Hartford,  Dr. 
Jan.  22.  1715— '16,  To  6  days  journey  to  Woodhury, 
to  treat  with  the  Indians  about  the  Western  Lands, 
by  Thomas  Seymour,  £    1      4  0 

To  expenses  in  the  journey,  114  9 

£  2  18  9 

*  The  following  is  written  on  the  first  page  of  the  book  referred  to — "This  booke  be- 
longing to  the  Towne  of  Hartford,  into  which  we,  the  Committee  for  Managing  the 
affairs  of  the  Western  Grants,  have  entered  onr  proceedings  relating  thereto,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Committee  for  the  Towne  of  Windsor — as  also  an  account  of  our  dis- 
bursements therein."    Dated  June  17,  1718. 


20  HISTORY    OF  LITCHFIELD. 

The  Town  of  Hartford,  Dr. 

To  Thomas  Seymour,  Committy, 

May  1716,  By  2  quarts  of  Rum,  £0     2  6 

Expenses  at  Farmington,  4  9 

Kxpenses  at  Waterbury,  1   7 

Paid  Thomas  Miner  towards  the  Indian  purchase,  7   10  0 

Expenses  at  Woodbury  2  110 

Expenses  for  a  Pilot  and  protection,  110  0 

Fastening  horse-shoes  at  Waterbury,  2  0 

Expenses  at  Waterbury,  1  8 

Expenses  to  Col.  Whiting  for  writing  40  deeds,  £  1  10  0 

"         to  Capt.  Cooke  for  acknowledging  18  deeds,  18  0 

"         to  Ensign  Seymour,  1     0  0 

"         at  Arnold's,  1     7  0 

"         by  sending  to  Windsor,  0    4  0 

August  4,  1718.— Sold  11  lots  for  £49  10  0 

Expenses  for  writing  20  deeds,  to  Mr.  Fitch,  10  0 

"         to  Capt.  Cooke  for  acknowledging  deeds,  7  0 

"         for  making  out  a  way,  2     0  0 

"         at  Arnold's,  11  o 

'r        to  Tho's  Seymour  for  perambulating  north  line,  1     6  4 

"         at  Arnold's,  10  4 

Feb.  10,  1818. — At  a  meeting  of  the  Committees,  then  sold 

16  lots  reserved  by  Marsh  for  Hartford's  part,  37  17  9 

At  same  meeting,  paid  by  John  Marsh  for  expenses,  12  0 

At  same  meeting,  loss  of  money  by  mistake  in  acc't.  3  0 

April  14,  1719. — A  meeting  of  the  Committees,  expenses,  6  0 

April  27. — At  a  meeting  of  the  Committees,  expenses,  7  ." 

By  the  earliest  of  these  entries,  we  learn  that  Mr.  John 
Marsh  was  sent  out  from  Hartford  "  to  view  the  lands  of  the 
new  plantation,"  in  May,  1715.  He  may,  therefore,  be  re- 
garded as  emphatically  the  pioneer-explorer  of  this  township. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  an  occasional  hunter  or  adventurer 
had  previously  visited  these  hills,  and  carried  hence  an  ac- 
count of  our  beautiful  lake  and  the  rich  alluvial  meadows  on 
its  banks ;  but  there  is  extant  no  written  or  traditionary  evi- 
dence pointing  to  such  an  event.  Mr.  Marsh  became  an  ori- 
ginal proprietor  and  early  settler  of  the  town,  and  was  one  of 
its  most  important  and  useful  men.  He  was  the  progenitor 
of  all  bearing  his  name  in  Litchfield — a  numerous  and  respec- 
table family.  Mr.  Thomas  Seymour,  of  Hartford,  appears  in 
the  record  as  the  next  explorer,  and  as  the  agent "  to  treat  with 
the  Indians"  relative  to  the  purchase  of  these  lands.  The  sub- 
sequent items,  though  unimportant  in  themselves,  are  never- 


INDIAN   DEED.  21 

theless  deemed  worthy  of  preservation,  as  they  embrace  all  the 
information  contained  in  our  Town  Books  touching  the  action 
of  the  Committees  relative  to  the  lands  in  question,  previous 
to  the  settlement. 

The  negotiations  resulted  in  purchasing  from  the  Indians  all 
the  lands  in  the  original  township  of  Bantam  or  Litchfield. 
The  sum  paid  therefor  in  behalf  of  the  Committees,  though 
seemingly  small,  was  doubtless  satisfactory  to  the  natives. 
Their  estimate  of  land  was  founded  mainly  upon  its  value  to 
them  for  hunting  ;  and  as  they  made  a  "  reservation  "  for  that 
purpose,  the  "  fifteen  pounds  in  hand  received  "  was,  we  have 
reason  to  believe,  to  their  "  full  satisfaction  and  contentment," 
as  is  expressed  in  the  Deed — which  was  executed  at  Wood- 
bury, March  2d,  1715-'16 : 

"  To  all  People  to  whom  these  Presents  shall  co?ne,  Greeting  : 

KNOW  YE  that  we,  Chusquenoag,  Corkscrew,  Quiurnp,  Mag- 
nash,  Kehow,  Sepunkum,  Poni,  Wonposet,  Suckqunnokqueen,  To- 
weecume,  Mansumpansh,  and  Norkgnotonckquy,  Indian  Natives 
belonging  to  the  Plantation  of  Potatuck  within  the  Colony  of  Connec- 
ticut, for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  fifteen  pounds  money  in 
hand  received  to  our  full  satisfaction  and  contentment,  have  given, 
granted,  bargained  and  sold,  and  by  these  presents  do  fully,  freely 
and  absolutely  give,  grant,  bargain  and  confirm,  unto  Col.  William 
Whiting,  Mr.  John  Marsh  and  Mr,  Thomas  Seymour,  a  Committee 
for  the  town  of  Hartford  ;  and  Mr.  John  Eliot,  Mr.  Daniel  Griswold 
and  Mr.  Samuel  Rockwell,  a  Committee  for  the  town  of  Windsor,  for 
themselves  and  in  behalf  of  the  rest  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  towns  of 
Hartford  and  Windsor,  a  certain  tract  of  Land,  situate  and  lym<*  north 
of  Waterbury  bounds,  abutting  southerly,  partly  on  Waterbury  and 
partly  on  Woodbury;  from  Waterbury  River  westward  across  a  part 
ofWaterbury  bounds,  and  across  at  the  north  end  of  Waterbury  bounds 
to  Shepaug  River,  and  so  northerly  in  the  middle  of  Shepaug  River, 
to  the  sprains  of  Shepaug  River  below  Mount  Tom,  thence  running 
up  the  east  branch  of  Shepaug  River  to  a  place  where  the  said  River 
runs  out  of  Shepaug  Pond,  from  thence  to  the  north  end  of  said  Pond, 
then  east  to  Waterbury  River,  then  southerly  as  the  River  runs,  to 
to  the  north  end  of  Waterbury  bounds  upon  the  said  River;  which 
.-aid  Tract  of  Land  thus  described,  To  Have  and  to  Hold,  to  the 
said  Col.  William  Whiting,  Mr.  John  Marsh  and  Mr.  Thomas  Sey- 
mour, Mr.  John  Eliot,  Mr.  Daniel  Griswold  and  Mr.  Samuel  Rock- 
well, Committees  of  the  Towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor  as  aforesaid, 
in  behalf  of  themselves  and  the  rest  of  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Towns, 
to  them,  their  heirs  and  assigns,  to  use,  occupy  and  improve,  as  their 
own  proper  right  of  Inheritance,  for  their  comfort  forever;  together 
with  all  the  privileges,  appurtenances  and  conditions  to  the  same  be 


22  HISTORY  OF  LITCHFIELD. 

longing,  or  in  any  wise  appertaining.  And  Further,  we,  the  said 
Ghusquenoag,  Corkscrew,  Quiump,  Magnasb,  Kehow,  Sepunkum, 
Poni,  Wonposet,  Siickqunnokqueen,  Toweecumo,  Mansumpansh  and 
Norkgnotonckquy,  owners  and  proprietors  of  the  above  granted  Land, 
do,  for  ourselves  and  our  heirs,  to  and  with  the  above  said  William 
Whiting,  John  Marsh,  Thomas  Seymour,  John  Eliot,  Daniel  Griswold 
and  Samuel  Rockwell,  Committees  as  aforesaid,  them,  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  covenant  and  engage,  that  we  have  good  right  and  lawful 
authority  to  sell  the  above  granted  land;  And  Futher,  at  the  desire 
and  request  of  the  aforesaid  Committees,  and  at  their  own  proper  cost 
and  charge,  will  give  a  more  ample  deed. 

And  for  a  more  full  confirmation  hereof,  we  have  set  our  hands  and 
seals,  this  second  day  of  March,  in  the  second  year  of  His  Majesties 
Reign,  A.  D.  1715. 

Memorandum. — Before  the  executing  of  this  instrument,  it  is  to  be 
understood,  that  the  grantors  above  named  have  reserved  to  themselves 
a  piece  of  ground  sufficient  for  their  hunting  houses,  near  a  mountain 
called  Mount  Tom." 

This  document  is  subscribed  by  the  Indians  named  in  the 
beginning  of  the  deed — the  last  one  excepted.  As  the  "  un- 
couth scrawls  "  used  by  them  for  signatures,  are  meaningless, 
and  were  undoubtedly  drawn  quite  at  random  by  the  aboriginal 
signers,  no  attempt  will  here  be  made  to  imitate  them.  The 
names  of  the  witnesses  subscribed  to  the  deed  are,  Weroa- 
maug,  Wognacug,  Tonhocks,  John  Mitchell,  and  Joseph  Minor. 
It  was  "  acknowledged"  before  Mr.  Minor,  the  Indian  Inter- 
preter, as  follows  : 

"  The  Indians  that  subscribed  and  sealed  the  above  said  deed,  ap- 
peared personally  in  Woodbury,  the  day  of  the  date  thereof,  and  ack- 
nowledged the  said  deed  to  be  their  free  and  voluntary  act  and  deed 
Before  me,  JOHN  MINOR." 

In  1718,  a  Company  was  organized  for  the  settlement  of  Ban- 
tam. The  township,  which  contained  about  44,800  acres,  was 
divided  into  sixty  rights  or  shares — three  of  which  were  reser- 
ved for  pious  uses,  viz.,  one  share  to  the  first  minister  and  his 
heirs  forever  ;  one,  for  the  use  of  the  first  minister  and  his  suc- 
cessors in  the  pastoral  office  ;  and  one,  for  the  support  of 
Schools.  Purchasers  having  been  found  for  the  remaining 
fifty-seven  rights,  deeds  of  conveyance  were  made  by  the  Com- 
mittees, confirming  the  entire  plantation  to  the  new  proprie- 
tors. These  deeds  are  dated,  April  29,  1719 — fifty-five  of 
which  are  recorded  on  the  Litchfield  Land  Records.     The  con- 


ORIGINAL    PROPRIETORS    OF   THE    TOWN. 


23 


sideration  for  forty-eight  shares,  was  £229  10  0,  in  bills  of 
credit ;  for  seven  shares,  the  sum  of  £31  4  0  was  paid.  Mr. 
John  Marsh  purchased  the  two  remaining  shares,  but  the  price 
paid  therefor  does  not  appear.  The  average  cost  of  the  land 
to  the  first  purchasers,  did  not  exceed  one  penny  and  three 
farthings  per  acre. 

The  subjoined  list  contains  the  names  of  all  the  "  original 
proprietors"  of  the  township  : 

John  Marsh  *  (2  Rights,)  from  Hartford.  John  Stoddard,*  Wethersfield. 


Samuel  Sedgwick,  Jr, 
Nathaniel  Goodwin, 
Timothy  Seymour, 
Paul  Pe'ek,  Jr.* 
Joseph  Mason,* 
Nathaniel  Messenger, 
Benjamin  Webster,* 
Joshua  Garrett,* 
Samuel  Forward, 
Thomas  Griswold,  Jr., 
Jacob  Gibbs,* 

Benjamin  Hosford,* 
John  Hart, 
Timothy  Stanley, 
John  Bird,* 
Joseph  Bird,* 
Samuel  Lewis, 
Ebenezer  Woodruff, 
Samuel  Root, 
Nathaniel  Winchcll, 
Hezekiah  Winchell, 
Joseph  Gillett,* 
Jonathan  Buck, 
William  Goodrich,  Jr.* 


Ezekicl  Buck,* 

"  Jacob  Griswold,* 

"          John  Buel,*  (2  Rights,)  Lebanon. 

"           Edward  Culver,  " 
Hezekiah  Culver  * 

"          Thomas  Lee,*  " 

"          Eleazer  Strong,*  " 

"           .Supply  Strong,*  " 

Windsor.  Caleb  Chapel,  (2  Rights,)  " 

"         i  Thomas  Treadway,* 

"          John  Caulkins,  " 

"  Ezekiel  Sanford,  (2  Rights,)     Stratford. 

"           Natiian  Mitchell,*  " 

Farmington.  Thomas  Pier,*  " 

John  Mann,  " 

Joseph  Peet,  " 

Samuel  Somers,  " 
Natli'l  Smith,*  (2  Rights,)  Taunton,  Ms. 

John  Collins,  " 

Ephraim  French,  " 

Josiah  Walker,*  Woodbury. 

"           Samuel  Orton,*  " 

Colchester.  Joseph  Waller,*  " 

NerwMilford.  Isaac  Judson,  " 
Wethersfield. 


Those  proprietors  whose  names  are  here  designated  by  a 
star  (*)  became  settlers  in  the  town.  The  Rights  of  a  few 
others  were  settled  upon  by  the  sons  of  the  first  purchasers  ; 
others  sold  out  their  interest  to  persons  who  became  permanent 
residents ;  while  a  few  forfeited  their  shares  by  neglecting  to 
comply  with  the  terms  of  the  purchase. 

The  title  thus  acquired  was  soon  after  confirmed  by  the  fol- 
lowing Act  of  the  Legislature  : 

-  Ar  a  General  Assembly  holden  at  Hartford,  May,  A.  D.  1719: 
I  BON  the  Petition  of  Ljeut.  John  Marsh,   of  Hartford,   and 
!i  John  Buel,  of  Lebanon,  with  many  others,  praying  liberty, 
under  Committees  appointed  by  the  Towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor, 

to  settle  a  Town  westward  of  Farmington,  at  a  place  called  Bantam. 
This  Assembly  do  grant  liberty  and  full  power,  unto  the  said  John 


24  HISTORY   OF  LTTCHFIELD. 

Marsh  and  John  Buel  and  partners  settlers,  being  in  the  whole  fifty- 
seven  in  number,  to  Bettle  a  town  at  said  Bantam  :  the  said  town  to 
be  divided  into  sixty  Rights,  three  whereof  to  be  improved  for  pious 
ogee  in  said  town.  And  the  other  fifty-seven  shall,  as  soon  as  may 
conveniently  be,  settled  upon  by  the  undertakers,  or,  upon  their  fail- 
ure, by  others  that  may  be  admitted.  Said  town  to  be  in  length,  east 
and  west,  eight  miles,  three-quarters  and  twrenty-eight  rods,  and  in 
breadth  seven  miles  and  an  half — being  bounded  eastward  by  Matta- 
tuek  River,  westward  the  bigger  part  upon  the  most  western  branch 
of  the  Shepaug  River  and  partly  upon  the  wilderness,  north  upon  the 
wilderness,  and  south  by  Waterbury  bounds  and  a  west  line  from 
Waterbury  corner  unto  Shepaug  River ;  said  town  to  be  known  by 
the  name  of  LITCHFIELD,  and  to  have  the  following  figure  for  a 
a  brand  for  their  horse  hind,  viz.  9.  And  the  same  powers  and  priv- 
ileges that  other  towns  in  this  Colony  do  enjoy,  are  hereby  granted 
to  said  town." 

As  this  chapter  may  be  regarded  simply  as  an  introduction 
to  the  subject-matter  of  the  volume,  a  brief  reference  to  the 
origin  and  meaning  of  the  names  by  which  this  locality  was 
and  is  known,  will  not  be  out  of  place  here. 

The  earliest  designation  applied  to  this  particular  portion  of 
the  Western  Lands,  was  Bantam — and  the  name  is  still  borne 
by  our  principal  Lake  and  one  of  our  largest  Rivers.  His- 
torians have  generally  concurred  in  calling  this  the  Indian  or 
Aboriginal  name  of  the  place.  There  appears  to  be  good  rea- 
son, however,  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  such  a  conclusion. 
Impressed  with  the  belief  that  the  word  had  a  trans-Atlantic 
origin,  I  have  occasionally  asked  the  opinion  of  such  friends  as 
I  knew  to  be  familiar  with  the  construction  of  languages,  and 
likely  to  be  much  better  informed  on  the  subject  than  myself. 
In  November,  1856,  the  Hon.  Charles  W.  Bradley,  LL.  D., 
formerly  Secretary  of  State,  and  now  an  American  Consul  in 
China,  thus  responded  to  my  enquiry  and  suggestion : 

"As to  the  name  "  Bantam,"  I  fully  agree  with  you  that  it  hath  a 
very  un-Indian  look  and  sound,  nor  have  I  ever  regarded  it  as  belong- 
ing to  any  of  our  native  dialects.  I  have  no  idea  how  it  got  there. 
The  only  place  of  that  name,  within  my  ken,  is  near  my  late  residence 
(Singapore,)  where,  in  the  Island  of  Java,  is  a  town,  once  the  capital 
of  a  District  of  the  same  designation,  containing  3,428  square  miles. 
Bantam  is  in  lat.  6°  S.  long.  106°  13'  E— forty-seven  miles  W.  from 
Batavia." 

Prof.  W.  G.  Peck,  of  Columbia  College,  New  York,  in  Oc- 
tober last,  wrote : 


BANTAM LITCHFIELD.  25 

"You  will  remember  our  conversation  about  the  word  Bantam,  and 
that  I  took  the  ground  that  it  was  not  of  Indian  origin.  In  looking 
over  an  old  History  of  Java,  the  other  day,  I  came  across  the  fact  that 
an  expedition  was  fitted  out  in  1601,  consisting  of  four  ships  belonging 
to  the  then  newly-formed  "  lvist  India  Company;"  and  that  the  expe- 
dition sailed  under  Captain  Lancaster  in  1 602,  touching  first  atAcheen 
and  then  at  Bantam  in  Java.  Captain  Lancaster,  during  the  latter 
year,  brought  home  a  letter  from  the  "  King  of  Bantam"  to  Queen 
Elizabeth.  From  all  this,  you  will  see  that  the  Java  Bantam  was  in 
existence  and  had  a  king,  eighteen  years  before  the  landing  of  the 
Pilgrims — and  I  don't  know  how  much  earlier.  Bantam  was  occupi- 
ed by  the  Dutch  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  was  a  place  of  much 
consequence.  In  the  Portuguese  writings  of  Jono  de  Barras,  (Lisbon 
1777.)  the  place  is  called  "  Bintam  or  Bantam."  I  am  unable  to  as- 
certain whether  the  word  is  Dutch  or  Javanese  ;  at  any  rate,  it  is  quite 
clear  that  the  name  is  not  of  Connecticut  origin." 

The  English  and  Danes  had  factories  at  Bantam  previous  to 
1682,  at  which  date  they  were  taken  by  the  Dutch.  The  har- 
bor was  long  a  favorite  rendezvous  for  British  shipping  in  the 
East.  Of  course  the  name  was  a  familiar  one  in  the  English 
colonies  at  the  time  of  the  exploration  of  these  Western  Lands. 
Why  it  was  transferred  to  this  locality,  must  remain  a  matter 
of  conjecture  ;  perhaps  it  was  because,  like  the  Bantam  of  the 
old  world,  this  was  a  wild  and  almost  unknown  region,  inhab- 
ited by  a  race  of  barbarians ;  perhaps,  as  has  been  suggested 
by  a  distinguished  antiquarian  scholar,  the  name  may  have 
first  been  given  by  the  settlers  on  the  Connecticut  to  an  Indian 
sachem  residing  in  this  vicinity,  and,  at  a  subsequent  date, 
the  country  may  have  been  named  from  him.  At  all  events, 
it  appears  to  have  been  the  first  designation  by  which  this 
township  was  ever  known  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race ;  and  as 
such,  is  worthy  of  being  retained  and  cherished. 

The  Town,  as  we  have  seen,  was  first  called  Litchfield  in 
the  act  of  incorporation,  passed  during  the  May  Session,  1719, 
and  was  so  named  from  the  ancient  city  of  Lichfield,  Staf- 
fordshire, England — the  t  being  added,  probably  by  the  legis- 
lative clerk,  and  has  ever  since  been  retained.  It  was  with 
a  sort  of  hallowed,  home-sick  feeling,  that,  in  July  1855,  the 
author  of  this  volume  (then  on  his  way  from  London  to  North 
Wales,)  made  a  brief  stop  at  this  famous  ecclesiastical  empori- 
um. Long  before  reaching  the  Lichfield  Station,  the  spires  of 
the  noble  Cathedral  attracted  the  attention  and  elicited  the 

4 


26  HISTORY    OP  LITCHFIELD. 

remarks  of  the  numerous  strangers  on  the  train.  It  is  hardly 
to  be  presumed  that  this  place  received  the  name  it  bears,  on 
account  of  any  supposed  resemblance  of  its  location  to  that  of 
the  city  whence  its  name  is  derived.  The  English  Lichfield, 
it  is  true,  stands  upon  elevated  ground,  and  is  surrounded  by 
rural  beauties  which  are  rarely  surpassed  even  in  the  British 
Islands  ;  but  the  city  cannot  be  said  to  stand  on  a  hill,  and  the 
face  of  the  surrounding  country  is  materially  different  from 
the  scenes  upon  which  we  are  accustomed  to  look.  With  the 
same  broad  meadows,  pastures  and  cultivated  fields,  inter- 
spersed with  patches  of  wood-land,  they  lack  the  lake,  and 
forest,  and  mountain  scenery,  which  forms  a  principal  attrac- 
tion of  our  landscapes.  Lichfield  is  said  to  have  been  erected 
into  a  bishopric  as  early  as  A.  D.  656 — the  first  bishop  bearing 
the  name  of  Diuma.  The  first  cathedral  was  completed  about 
the  year  700,  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Hedda.  The  founder  of 
the  present  edifice  is  stated  to  have  been  Roger  de  Clinton, 
who  came  to  the  see  in  1138  ;  though,  from  the  style  of  archi- 
itecture,  it  is  believed  that  much  of  the  building  was  erected 
during  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  civil  wars,  the  Close  of  Lichfield  was  forti- 
fied by  the  royalists,  and  the  command  entrusted  to  Lord  Ches- 
terfield. In  March,  1643,  the  garrison  was  attacked  by  the 
parliamentary  forces  under  Lord  Brooke,  one  of  the  Patentees 
of  Connecticut,  who  is  said  to  have  made  a  vow  that  if  he 
should  succeed  he  would  level  the  cathedral  with  the  ground. 
A  day  or  two  after,  however,  his  lordship  was  shot  dead,  as  he 
walked  along  the  street  below,  by  a  gentleman  stationed  on 
the  great  tower  of  the  church.  The  garrison  soon  surrendered 
to  the  puritan  army,  who,  if  we  are  to  believe  Dugdale,  de- 
molished all  the  monuments,  pulled  down  the  curious  carved 
work,  battered  in  the  costly  windows,  destroyed  the  records, 
stabled  their  horses  in  the  aisles,  and  "  every  day  hunted  a 
cat  throughout  the  church,  delighting  themselves  in  the  echo 
from  the  goodly  vaulted  roof."  These  were  strange  pastimes, 
surely,  for  puritan  soldiers ;  but  doubtless  the  picture  was 
somewhat  overdrawn  by  the  royal  historian.  The  garrison  was 
again  captured  by  the  royalists,  and  re-captured  by  the  puri- 


ETYMOLOGY   OF   LITCHFIELD.  27 

tans.  The  cathedral  suffered  greatly  from  these  successive 
sieges.  It  was  estimated  that  not  less  than  two  thousand  can- 
non-balls  and  fifteen  hundred  hand-grenades  had  been  dischar- 
ged against  it.  It  was  completely  renovated  by  Bishop  Hacket 
during  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  The  city  contains  several 
churches,  schools,  and  charitable  institutions,  and,  in  1841, 
had  a  population  of  14,754.  Its  streets  are  narrow,  but  well 
paved  and  well  lighted  ;  many  of  the  buildings  are  handsome, 
and  its  general  appearance  is  much  above  the  average  of  Eng- 
lish towns  of  its  size.  Its  municipal  officers  are,  a  mayor,  re- 
corder, five  aldermen,  and  eighteen  Councilors.  It  is  entitled 
to  two  members  of  parliament.  In  this  place  were  born  Gar- 
rick,  Johnson,  Lady  Mary  Wortlcy  Montague,  and  other  emi- 
nent characters. 

As  to  the  etymology  of  the  word  Lichfield,  or  Litchfield, 
Gorton  in  his  "  Topographical  Dictionary  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,"  (London,  1833,  vol.  ii,  p.  j564,)  says — "Various 
derivations  have  been  proposed  of  the  name  of  this  place ;  but 
it  has  generally  been  deduced  from  the  term,  Lich-field,  signi- 
fying the  Field  of  the  Dead — thus  denominated,  according  to 
some  ecclesiastical  historians,  on  account  of  the  great  number 
of  Christians  having  suffered  martyrdom  here  during  the  Dio- 
clesian  persecution  in  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century." 
In  confirmation  of  this  derivation,  it  may  be  added,  that  a  field 
in  the  neighborhood,  bearing  the  name  of  Christian  Field,  is 
still  pointed  out  as  the  place  where  a  thousand  Christians  were 
slaughtered  at  one  time.  This  definition  also  corresponds 
with  that  given  by  the  great  lexicographer,  Dr.  Johnson,  who 
was  a  native  of  Lichfield.  In  Saxon  times,  this  town  formed  a 
portion  of  the  extensive  and  powerful  kingdom  of  Mercia, 
which  was  christianized  upon  its  conquest  by  Oswy,  King  of 
Northumberland. 

Our  Litchfield  (Connecticut)  was  the  first  place  on  this 
continent  to  bear  the  name.  There  are  now  seven  other  Litch- 
fields  in  the  United  States,  (all  spelt  with  the  t,~)  viz.,  one  in 
each  of  the  following  States — Maine,  New  Hampshire,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Michigan  and  Kentucky.  These 
towns,  with  perhaps  a  single  exception,  were  settled  by  Connec- 
ticut people.     In  Ohio,  there  is  a  post  office  named  Bantam. 


CHAPTER  II. 

INCIDENTS   OF   THE   FIRST   SETTLEMENT. 

The  settlement  of  Litchfield  was  commenced  by  Capt.  Ja- 
cob Griswold,  from  Windsor,  Ezekiel  Buck,  from  Wethersfield, 
and  John  Peck,  from  Hartford,  all  of  whom  removed  their 
families  into  the  township  during  the  summer  of  1720.  In 
the  course  of  this  and  the  following  year,  several  other  families 
— chiefly  from  Hartford,  Lebanon,  Wethersfield  and  Windsor — 
erected  log  houses  on  their  home-lots,  and  moved  into  them. 

The  record  of  what  appears  to  have  been  the  first  Town 
Meeting,  is  without  date.  Dea.  John  Buel  and  Nathaniel 
Smith  were  appointed  a  Committee  to  hire  a  minister,  and  "  to 
make  and  gather  a  rate,  to  pay  him  for  his  services  amongst 
us."  This  Committee  employed  Mr.  Timothy  Collins,  of 
Guilford,  a  young  licentiate  who  had  graduated  at  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1718.  At  the  next  Meeting,  held  November  6,  1721, 
it  was  voted,  "  that  Mr.  Collins  be  forthwith  called  to  a  settle- 
ment in  this  place  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  ;"  and  it  was  stip- 
ulated that  he  should  receive  fifty-seven  pounds  per  year  for 
four  years — and  thereafter,  as  follows,  viz.,  "the  fifth  year, 
sixty  pounds ;  the  sixth  year,  seventy  pounds  ;  the  seventh 
year,  eighty  pounds — and  so  to  continue  at  eighty  pounds  per 
year"  so  long  as  he  should  remain  in  the  pastoral  office  in  this 
town.  It  was  also  agreed  to  pay  him  one  hundred  pounds  pre- 
vious to  the  1st  day  of  July,  1722,  and  to  furnish  him  with 
fire-wood.  Mr.  Collins  accepted  the  terms  proposed,  in  a  let- 
ter bearing  date,  "Litchfield, Dec.  12,  1721,"  and  immediate- 
ly entered  upon  his  labors — though  he  was  not  ordained  until 
the  19th  of  June,  1723.*     In  addition  to  his  salary,  as  above 

♦  Messrs.  Nathaniel  Smith,  Eleazer  Strong  and  Samuel  Culver,  were  appointed  a  com 
mittee  "  to  provide  accommodations,  at  the  town's  cost,  for  the  Elders  and  Messengers 
that  shall  be  in  attendance." 


FIRST   TOWN   OFFICERS.  29 

stated,  Mr.  Collins  received  in  fee  one-sixtieth  part  of  all  the 
lands  of  the  township,  together  with  the  use  for  life  of  another 
sixtieth  part. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  for  the  choice  of  Town 
Offia  rs,  was  held  Dec.  12,  1721,  and  resulted  as  follow- : 

Johx  Mabsh,   Town  Clerk. 

John  Buel,  ) 

Nathaniel  Hosford,    \  Selectmen. 

John  Marsh,  ) 

WILLIAM  Goodrich,   Constable  and  Collector. 

Benjamin  Gtbbs  and  Thomas  Lee,  Surveyors. 

Eleazer  Stbong  and  Samuel  Root,  Fence  Viewers. 

Daniel  Culver,  Hat/ward. 

Joseph  Bird,  Collector  of  Minister's  Rate. 

The  only  person  "admitted  an  inhabitant "  at  this  meeting, 
Mr.  Joseph  EJLBOUBN,  from  Wethersfield,  who  had  recent- 
ly purchased  one-thirtieth  part  of  the  township — being  the 
original  Rights  of  Messrs.  Mann  and  Peet. 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1721-,2,  Messrs.  Buel  and  Marsh 
voted  u  the  use  of  the  stream  of  Bantam  River  and  thirty 
acres  of  land,"  on  condition  that  they  would  erect  a  Grist 
Mill  and  keep  the  same  in  order  :  and  Messrs.  Jacob  Griswold, 
William  Goodrich  and  Benjamin  Gibbs  were  designated  to  lay 
out  the  land  for  their  use. 

On  the  8th  of  the  ensuing  May,  Messrs.  Buel,  Marsh,  Smith 
and  Hosford,  were  appointed  a  Committee,  and  fully  empow- 
ered by  the  town,  to  negotiate  a  settlement  of  the  boundary  line 
between  Litchfield  and  Waterbury,  with  a  Committee  appoint- 
ed by  the  proprietors  of  the  latter  town.  At  the  same  time, 
Messrs.  Buel  and  Marsh  were  directed  to  petition  the  General 
A  ssembly,  on  the  town's  behalf,  "  for  liberty  to  set  np  a  church 
and  society  in  Litchfield." 

It  had  been  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  several  deeds  of  con- 
veyance to  the  original  proprietors,  that  the  grantees  or  their 
should  build  a  tenantable  house  on  each  home-lot,  or 
division,  not  less  than  sixteen  feet  square,  and  personally  in- 
habit tin-  same  by  the  last  day  of  May.  1T_1,  and  for  three 
years  ensuing ;  and  no  one  was  permitted  "  to  leave  or  dispose 


BO  HISTORY  OF  LITCHFIELD. 

of  hie  share  for  five  years  thereafter,  without  the  consent  of  the 
first  planters."  This  was  a  wise  provision,  growing  out  of  the 
dependent  and  exposed  condition  of  a  settlement  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Not  only  was  each  individual  purchaser  expected  to 
encourage  the  settlement  hy  his  personal  presence  and  labors,* 
but  his  assistance  in  planning  and  executing  the  various  pro- 
jects designed  for  the  promotion  of  the  public  welfare,  was 
deemed  indispensable.  His  proprietorship  in  these  "  western 
lands  "  was  no  sinecure,  resorted  to  for  purposes  of  specula- 
tion. He  must  bear  his  full  share  of  the  burthens  and  per- 
ils incident  to  the  life  of  a  pioneer.  For  divers  reasons,  sever- 
al of  the  first  purchasers,  as  has  been  intimated,  failed  to 
comply  with  these  terms.  On  the  8th  of  June,  1722,  in  gen- 
eral Town  Meeting,  it  was  voted  that  the  following  persons 
had  "  forfeited  their  Rights  to  Lands  in  Litchfield  by  not  per- 
forming what  they  were  obliged  to  in  the  articles  of  the  settle- 
ment mentioned  in  the  Grand  Deed,"  viz.,  Timothy  Seymour, 
Timothy  Stanley,  Isaac  Judson,  Jacob  Gibbs,  John  Stoddard, 
Nathaniel  Smith,  Paul  Peck,  John  Hart,  Philip  Bump,  Na- 
thaniel Woodruff,  Thomas  Griswolcl,  John  Baldwin  and  one  of 
Ezekiel  Sandford's  Rights.  Messrs.  John  Buel,  Nathaniel 
Smith  and  John  Marsh,  were  appointed  a  Committee  to  nego- 
tiate with  the  above-named  individuals,  with  power  to  "  prose- 
cute the  forfeiture  to  effect"  in  case  the  claimants  should  neg- 
lect or  refuse  to  agree  to  the  terms  which  might  be  offered  them. 
Probably  a  compromise  was  effected  with  most  of  the  delin- 
quents. Some  of  them  became  active  and  useful  men  in  the 
town. 

In  October  of  this  year,  the  freemen,  by  a  formal  vote,  ex- 
pressed their  desire  to  be  annexed  to  Hartford  County.  They 
also  voted  that  the  tax  for  the  support  of  the  minister  and  for 
building  the  meeting-house,  should  be  laid  "  one  half  on  the 
Rights,  and  the  other  on  heads  and  stock." 

The  second  annual  Town  Meeting  was  held,  December  17, 
1722.  The  following  Town  Officers  for  the  year  ensuing  were 
chosen : 

[Nathaniel  Hosford,  Moderator .] 

John  Marsh,  Town  Clerk. 


the  first  meeting-house.  31 

Nathaniel  Hosford,  ) 

John  Stoddard,  >  Selectmen. 

Joseph  Kilbourx,       ) 

Jacob  Griswold,   Constable. 

Eleazer  Strong,   Grand  Juror. 

John  Baldwin  and  Joseph  Birge,  Fence  Viewers. 

Xkhemiah  Allen  and  Thomas  Lee,  Listers. 

Joseph  Harris,   Collector. 

Nathan  Mitchell,  Leather  Sealer. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  held  on  the  26th  of  December,  it 
wa>  ordered  that  the  "  town  stock  of  powder  and  lead  should 
be  procured  by  a  rate  raised  upon  the  Rights."  A  tax  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  was  laid  towards  building  the  meet- 
ing-house :  and  a  subsequent  vote  provided  for  the  raising  of 
forty-three  pounds  more  to  be  applied  to  the  same  object,  and 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  ministry.  Messrs.  Kilbourn,  Stod- 
dard, Hosford  and  Marsh,  were  appointed  a  Committee  "  to 
manage  the  affair  of  building  the  meeting-honse."  The  erec- 
tion of  a  place  of  public  worship  appears  to  have  been  regarded 
by  the  town  as  the  one  great  work  to  be  accomplished.  The 
votes  in  reference  to  it  are  frequent.  One  of  them,  passed 
April  19, 1728,  describes  the  dimensions  and  style  of  the  edi- 
fice as  follows :  It  shall  be  "  45  feet  in  length,  25  feet  in  breadth 
and  20  feet  between  joints;  to  be  shingled  and  clapboarded, 
the  lower  floor  laid,  the  seats  and  pulpit  made,  the  walls  sealed 
up  the  girts,  all  the  windows  made  and  glazed ;  the  house  well 
underpined,  with  all  needful  doors  ;  all  said  work  to  be  well 
and  sufficiently  done,  according  to  the  discretion  of  the  com 
mittee  appointed  for  the  work  ;  all  of  which  work  is  to  be  fin- 
ished within  the  space  of  three  years  ensuing  the  date  hereof."* 
The  location  of  the  building  is  described  as  "northward  of 
William  Goodrich's,  towards  Mr.  Cuilins's  house" — or  about 
midway  between  the  present  Mansion  House  corner  and  the 
Luke  Lewis  house. 

In  the  earliest  records,  our  present  North  street  was  called 

*  It  is  not  improbable  that  tbe  edifice  was  so  far  completed  within  the  time  specified 
as  to  be  used  for  public  worship  :  but  as  late  as  Dec.  24,  1731,  we  find  an  appropria- 
tion of  £25  "  towards  finishing  the  meeting-house,"  and  a  committee  was  at  the  same 
time  appointed  to  attend  to  the  work.  Dec.  27.  it  was  voted  "  to  get  a  cushion  or 
pillow  for  the  pulpit,  to  be  made  with  plush,  andstufft." 


32  HISTORY  OP  LITCHFIELD. 

Town  street,  and  was  laid  out  twelve  rods  wide ;  that  now 
called  South  street,  was  laid  out  eight  rods  wide,  and  was 
id  Town  Hill  street;  Gallows  Lane  was  twenty-eight  rods 
wide,  and  was  call  -,l  Middle  street ;  the  present  East  and  Wes1 
streets  were  twenty  rods  wide,  and  called  Meeting  House  street 

the  first  meeting-house  standing  in  the  center ;  the  street 

running  south  from  the  present  residence  of  Colonel  OdelPs, 
was  then  called  South  Griswold  street,  and  was  four  rods  wide ; 
that  running  north  from  Dr.  Eliada  Osborn's,  was  called  North 
Griswold  street,  and  was  eight  rods  wide  ;  Prospect  street  was 
called  North  street,  and  was  originally  twenty  rods  wide,  but 
soon  reduced  to  seventeen. 

The  subject  of  Highways  was  also  one  of  special  importance, 
and  engrossed  much  of  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  in  their 
Town  Meetings.  On  the  26th  of  December,  1722,  it  was  voted 
to  lay  out  a  highway  from  Bantam  River  to  the  Chestnut  Hill 
home-lots,  "in  the  range  where  the  foot-path  now  is"  as  the 
record  expresses  it.  On  the  following  day,  it  was  voted  "  to 
lay  out  a  highway  from  John  Marsh's  home-lot  [on  Chestnut 
Hill,]  to  the  south  bounds  ;  and  the  highway  by  Mr.  Collins' s 
house,  to  be  continued  to  the  north  bounds  ;  and  the  highway 
running  east,  to  be  extended  to  the  east  bounds ;  and  west,  or 
south-west,  from  Thomas  Pier's,  according  to  the  best  skill  of 
the  Committee  ;  and  the  highway  running  north  from  Pier's, 
to  be  continued  to  the  north  bounds." 

The  proprietor  of  each  Right  was  entitled,  as  a  part  of  his 
division  of  lands,  to  a  Home  Lot  of  fifteen  acres  in  the  "  town 
plat"  or  village.  The  choice  of  the  Home  Lots  was  decided 
by  chance.  The  first  choice  fell  to  Nathaniel  Winchell,  who 
selected  the  lot  on  the  south  corner  of  South-street  and  Gal- 
lows Lane.  John  Marsh  drew  the  second  choice,  and,  singu- 
larly enough  to  us,  selected  the  lot  at  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  village,  bordering  on  Bantam  River — on  which  the 
dwelling-house  of  Mrs.  Frederick  Prescott  now  stands.  Tim- 
othy Seymour  drew  the  third  choice,  and  fixed  the  location  of 
his  lot  on  the  north  side  of  West-street,  where  Mr.  Lyman  J. 
Smith  now  lives.  Numbers  four,  five  and  six,  (drawn  by 
Messrs.  John  Bird,  Samuel  Orton  and  Samuel  Forward,)  selec- 


THE    HOME-LOTS. 

1  lots  on  the  east  side  of  South-street,  adjoining  each  other, 
and  lying  immediately  north  of  the  lot  of  John  Marsh  on  Ban- 
dun   River.     The  Mansion  House  corner  was  selected  by  Wil- 
liam Goodrich,  who  drew  number  twenty  ;  Nathaniel  Smith 
drew  the  twenty-fifth  choice,  and  selected  the  Oliver  Goodwin 
corner ;  the  thirty-third  choice  fell  to  Samuel  Lewis,  who  se- 
lected the  County  House  corner,  which  he  soon  after  transfer- 
red to  Joseph  Kilbourn,  the  purchaser  of  his  Right.     For  his 
first "  twenty  acre  division,"  Mr.  Kilbourn  selected  the  lot  on 
the  north  corner  of  North  and  Prospect  streets,  now  occupied 
in  part  by  Dr.  Richards'  "  Elm  Park  Collegiate  Institute." 
The  north-east  corner  of  North  and  East  streets,  together  with 
the  lot  adjoining  on   the  north,  was  laid  out  to  the  Rev.  Mr# 
Collins  ;  the  next  lot  north  was  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Collins 
and  his  successors  in  the  ministry  ;  adjoining  which,  still  fur- 
ther north,  was  the  home-lot  laid  out  on  the  School  Right. 
The  lift)7- seventh  (or  last)  choice  was  drawn  by  Ezekiel  San- 
ford,  who  chose  the  lot  in  South-street  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  A.  C.  Smith,  Esq. — one  of  the  most  eligible  sites   in  the 
village. 

It  is  probable  that  the  work  of  laying  out  these  Home  Lots 
was  commenced  in  1720,  and  that  the  first  settlers,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  stipulation  contained  in  their  several  deeds, 
erected  tenements  thereon.  In  May,  1722,  Messrs.  Hezekiah 
Culver  and  Thomas  Lee  were  appointed  to  complete  the  Avork  ; 
but  it  would  seem  that  they  failed  to  attend  to  the  business,  for, 
in  the  following  December,  Messrs.  John  Stoddard,  John  Bird 
and  Jacob  Griswold,  were  appointed  on  a  Committee  for  the 
same  purpose.  More  than  two-thirds  of  the  Home  Lots  were 
located  within  our  present  borough  limits  ;  the  remainder,  far- 
ther west  on  West  street  and  South  Griswold  street,  and  south- 
east on  Chestnut  Hill. 

Two  or  three  incidents  connected  with  pioneering  in  the  era 
of  which  we  are  speaking,  will  form  a  fitting  close  to  this 
chapter. 

"  In  May,  1722,"  says  Mr.  Morris,  "  Capt.  Jacob  Griswold 
being  at  work  alone  in  the  field  about  one  mile  west  of  the 
present  Court  House,  two  Indians  suddenly  rushed  upon  him 

5 


34  HISTORY   OP   LITCHFIELD. 

from  the  woods,  took  him,  pinioned  his  arms,  and  carried  him 
off.  They  traveled  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  the  same  day 
arrived  in  some  part  of  the  township  now  called  Canaan,  then 
a  wilderness.  The  Indians  kindled  a  fire,  and,  after  binding 
their  prisoner  hand  and  foot,  lay  down  to  sleep.  Griswold 
fortunately  disengaged  his  hands  and  feet,  and  though  his  arms 
were  tied,  he  seized  their  guns,  and  made  his  escape  into  the 
woods.  After  traveling  a  short  distance,  he  sat  down  and 
waited  until  the  dawn  of  day.  Although  his  arms  were  still 
pinioned,  he  carried  both  the  guns.  The  savages  awoke  in 
the  morning,  and,  finding  their  prisoner  gone,  immediately 
pursued  him.  They  soon  overtook  him,  and  kept  in  sight  of 
him  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  while  he  was  making  his  way 
homeward.  When  they  came  near,  he  turned  and  pointed  one 
of  the  pieces  at  them  ;  they  then  fell  back.  In  this  manner 
he  traveled  till  near  sunset,  when  he  reached  an  eminence  in 
an  open  field  about  one  mile  north-west  of  the  center.  He 
then  discharged  one  of  his  guns,  which  immediately  summon- 
ed the  people  to  his  assistance.  The  Indians  fled,  and  Gris- 
wold safely  returned  to  his  family." 

The  following  interesting  narrative  from  "  Travels  in  New 
England  and  New  York,"  by  Timothy  Dwight,  S.  T.  D., 
LL.  D.,  President  of  Yale  College,  (vol.  i.  pp.  113 — 118,)  has 
been  often  re-published  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  With 
characteristic  caution,  he  remarks — "  This  story  may  be  cir- 
cumstantially erroneous  ;  in  substance  I  believe  it  to  be  true." 

"  Not  many  years  after  the  County  of  Litchfield  hegan  to  be  settled 
by  the  English,  a  strange  Indian  came  one  clay  into  an  Inn  in  the 
Town  of  Litchfield,  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and  requested  the  host- 
ess to  furnish  him  with  some  drink  and  supper.  At  the  same  time, 
he  observed,  that  he  could  pay  for  neither,  as  he  had  had  no  success 
in  hunting  ;  but  promised  payment  as  soon  as  he  should  meet  with 
better  fortune.  The  hostess  refused  him  both  the  drink  and  the  sup- 
per ;  called  him  a  lazy,  drunken,  good  for  nothing  fellow ;  and  told 
him  that  she  did  not  work  so  hard,  herself,  to  throw  away  her  earnings 
upon  such  creatures  as  he  was.  A  man  who  sat  by,"  and  observed 
that  the  Indian,  then  turning  about  to  leave  so  inhospitable  a  place, 
showed  by  his  countenance  that  he  was  suffering  very  severely  from 
want  and  weariness,  directed  the  hostess  to  supply  him  what  he  wish- 
ed, and  engaged  to  pay  the  bill  himself.  She  did  so.  When  the  In- 
dian had  finished  his  supper,  he  turned  to  his  benefactor,  thanked  him, 


THE   CAPTIVE   RESTORED.  35 

and  assured  him  that  he  should  remember  his  kindness,  and  whenever 
he  was  able,  would  faithfully  recompense  it.  For  the  present,  he  ob- 
served, he  could  only  reward  him  with  a  story  ;  which,  if  the  hostess 
would  give  him  leave,  he  wished  to  tell.  The  hostess,  whose  com- 
placency had  been  recalled  by  the  prospect  of  payment,  consented. 
The  Indian,  addressing  himself  to  his  benefactor,  said — "I  suppose 
you  read  the  Bible."  The  man  assented.  "  Well,"  said  the  Indian, 
"  the  Bible  say,  God  made  the  world  ;  and  then  he  took  him  and  look- 
ed on  him,  and  say,  '  It's  all  very  good  '  Then  he  made  light ;  and 
took  him  and  looked  on  him,  and  say,  '  It's  all  \^-ry  good.'  Then  he 
mode  dry  land  and  water,  and  sun  and  moon,  and  grass  and  trees ; 
and  took  him  ami  looked  on  him.  and  say,  '  It's  all  very  good.'  Then 
he  made  beasts,  and  birds,  and  fishes  3  and  took  him  and  looked  on 
him,  and  say,  'It's  all  very  good.'  Then  he  made  man  ;  and  took 
him  and  looked  on  him.  and  say,  'It's  all  very  good.'  Then  he  made 
woman ;  and  took  him  and  looked  on  him,  and  he  no  dare  say  one 
such  word."     The  Indian,  having  told  his  story,  withdrew. 

Some  years  after,  the  man  who  had  befriended  him  had  occasion  to 
go  some  distance  into  the  wilderness,  between  Litchfield,  then  a  fron- 
tier settlement,  and  Albany,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  an  In- 
dian scout,  and  carried  to  Canada.  "When  he  arrived  at  the  principal 
settlement  of  the  tribe,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
it  was  proposed  by  some  of  the  captors  that  he  should  be  put  to  death. 
During  the  consultation,  an  old  Indian  woman  demanded  that  he 
should  be  given  up  to  her ;  that  she  might  adopt  him  in. the  place  of 
a  son  whom  she  had  lost  in  the  war.  lie  was  accordingly  given  to 
her,  and  lived  through  the  succeeding  winter  in  her  family,  experien- 
cing the  customary  effects  of  savage  hospitality.  The  following  sum- 
mer, as  he  was  at  work  in  the  forest  alone,  an  unknown  Indian  came 
up  to  him,  and  asked  him  to  meet  him  at  a  place  which  he  pointed  out, 
on  a  given  day.  The  prisoner  agreed  to  the  proposal,  but  not  with- 
out some  apprehensions  that  mischief  was  intended  him.  During  the 
interval,  these  apprehensions  increased  to  such  a  degree  as  to  dis- 
suade him  effectually  from  fulfilling  his  engagement.  Soon  after,  the 
same  Indian  found  him  at  his  work  again,  and  very  gravely  reproved 
him  for  not  performing  his  promise.  The  man  apologized,  awkward- 
ly enough,  but  in  the  best  manner  in  his  power.  The  Indian  told 
him  that  he  should  be  satisfied,  if  he  would  meet  him  at  the  same 
place  on  a  future  day,  which  he  named.  The  man  promised  to  meet 
him,  and  fulfilled  his  promise.  "When  he  arrived  at  the  spot,  he  found 
the  Indian"  provided  with  two  muskets,  ammunition  for  them,  and 
knapsacks.  The  Indian  ordered  him  to  take  one  of  each,  and  follow 
him.  The  direction  of  their  march  was  to  the  south.  The  man  fol- 
lowed, without  the  least  knowledge  of  what  he  was  to  do  or  whither 
he  was  going;  but  concluded  that  if  the  Indian  intended  him  harm,  he 
would  have  dispatched  him  at  the  beginning,  and  that  at  the  worst  he 
was  as  safe  where  lie  was,  as  he  could  be  in  any  other  place.  Within 
a  short  time,  therefore,  his  tears  subsided,  although  the  Indian  observ- 
ed a  profound  and  mysterious  silence  concerning  the  object  of  the  ex- 


TTir:    HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

pedition.  In  the  day  lime,  they  shot  such  game  as  came  in  their  way, 
ami  at  night  kindled  a  lire,  by  which  they  slept.  After  a  tedious 
journey  of  many  days  they  came  one  morning  to  the  top  of  an  emi- 
nence, presenting  a  prospect  of  a  cultivated  country,  in  which  was  a 
number  of  houses.  The  Indian  asked  his  companion  whether  he 
knew  the  place.  He  replied  eagerly  that  it  was  Litchfield.  His 
guide  then,  after  reminding  him  that  he  had  so  many  years  before 
relieved  the  wants  of  a  famishing  Indian,  at  an  Inn  in  that  town,  sub- 
joined, "I  that  Indian  ;  now  I  pay  you  ;  go  home."  Having  said  this, 
he  bade  him  adieu  ;  and  the  man  joyfully  returned  to  his  own  house." 

The  Rev.  James  Hamilton,  D.  D.,  F.  L.  S.,  of  London, 
England,  author  of"  The  Royal  Preacher,"  and  other  works, 
in  a  Lecture  from  the  text,  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters," 
&c,  gives  the  substance  of  this  story,  which  he  commences  as 
follows  :  "  Dr.  D  wight,  an  American,  tells  how,  when  the 
country  near  Albany  was  newly  settled,  an  Indian  came  to  an 
inn  in  Litchfield,"  &c.  (See  Royal  Preacher,  pp.  275— '7.) 
Ignorance  of  our  local  geography,  is  of  course  excusable  in  a 
foreigner.  The  incidents  of  the  narrative  certainly  afford  an 
apt  illustration  of  the  truth  of  the  text. 

In  August,  1723,  (as  near  as  can  now  be  ascertained,)  Mr. 
Joseph  Harris,  one  of  the  most  respectable  citizens  of  the  town, 
while  at  work  alone  in  the  woods  about  a  mile  and  a  half  west 
of  the  village,  was  attacked  by  a  party  of  Indians,  shot,  and 
scalped.  As  he  did  not  return  home  when  expected,  the 
alarm  was  given,  and  search  was  immediately  made  for  him, 
which  was  continued  until  the  darkness  of  the  night  checked 
all  further  exertions.  In  the  morning,  his  body  was  found 
leaning  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  Harris  was  killed  near 
the  north  end  of  the  AVest  Plain,  a  few  rods  south  or  south- 
east of  the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Myron  Osborn.  He  was 
interred  in  the  West  Burying-Ground,  where,  in  1830,  a  mon- 
ument was  erected  to  his  memory  by  voluntary  contribution.* 

These  events  effectually  alarmed  the  settlers,  and  led  to 
those  measures  of  self-defense  which  are  detailed  with  some 
degree  of  minuteness  in  the  next  chapter. 

*  The  date  of  Harris's  death  given  on  his  monument  is  1721.  Gibbs  and  Morris  both 
place  the  event  in  "  August  1722."  These  dates  arc  of  course  impossible— as  he  was 
chosen  Collector  in  December  of  the  latter  year. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ALARMS  AND  MEASURES  OF  DEFENSE. 

Could  we  go  back  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  years,  and, 
from  some  elevated  stand-point,  look  down  upon  Litchfield  as 
i  t  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1723,  what  a  contrast  to  its 
present  appearance  would  the  scene  present !  Here  and  there, 
like  dots  on  the  surface  of  the  landscape,  little  openings  had 
been  made  in  the  primeval  forests  by  the  axes  of  the  settlers. 
Forty  or  fifty  log-cabins  were  scattered  over  the  site  now  occu- 
pied by  this  village  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  A  temporary 
palisade  stood  where  our  Court  House  now  stands,  and  four 
others  were  erected  in  more  remote  parts  of  the  town,  for  the 
protection  of  the  laborers  at  the  clearings :  all  soon  to  give 
place  to  stronger  and  more  permanent  structures.  The  howl 
of  the  wild  beast  and  the  yell  of  the  savage,  daily  and  nightly 
reminded  the  people  of  the  dangers  by  which  they  were  sur- 
rounded. The  little  hamlet  was  quite  beyond  the  bounds  of 
civilization — the  nearest  white  settlements  being  those  at  New 
Milford  on  the  south-west  and  at  Woodbury  on  the  south, both 
some  fifteen  miles  distant.  An  almost  unbroken  wilderness 
stretched  westward  to  the  Dutch  settlements  on  the  Hudson, 
and  northward  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the  French  villa- 
ges in  Canada.  The  Indians,  still  at  war  with  the  English, 
prowled  on  the  frontiers  like  ravenous  wolves  eager  for  their 
prey.  Their  yells  at  the  war-dance,  an  ominous  sound,  were 
heard  on  the  distant  hills,  and  at  midnight  their  signal-fires 
on  Mount  Tom  lit  up  the  surrounding  country  with  their  bale- 
ful gleam.  Without  mails  or  newspapers,  and  with  no  regular 
means  of  communication  Avith  their  friends  in  the  older  towns, 
they  seemed  indeed  shut  out  from  the  world,  and  dependent 


38 


HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 


upon  their  own  little  circle  for  intellectual  and  social  enjoy- 
ment. Is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  that  some  of  the  first  proprie- 
tors should  have  fled  from  scenes  so  uninviting  and  hazardous, 
even  at  the  risk  of  forfeiting  the  lands  which  they  had  pur- 
chased ? 

In  the  autumn  of  1722,  a  war  had  broken  out  between  the 
Province  of  Massachusetts  and  the  Eastern  Indians,  and  in  a 
short  time  its  direful  influences  were  felt  in  Connecticut — 
some  of  which  have  already  been  adverted  to.  The  savages 
on  our  borders,  many  of  whom  had  previously  manifested  a 
peaceable  and  conciliatory  spirit,  gave  evidence  that  their  pro- 
fessions of  friendship  were  not  to  be  relied  upon.  In  the 
spring  of  1723,  the  Committee  of  War,  in  Hartford,  sent  a 
military  corps  to  keep  garrison  at  Litchfield.  At  this  time, 
there  were  about  sixty  male  adults  in  the  town,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  whom  had  families.  The  following  are  the  names 
of  those  who  are  regarded  as  "first  settlers" — or  persons  who 
became  residents  of  the  town  during  the  first  three  years  of 
the  settlement : 


Nehemiah  Allen,  from 

Coventry. 

Joseph  Kilbourn, 

Wethersfield 

Joseph  Birge, 

Windsor. 

Thomas  Lee, 

Lebanon. 

Joseph  Bird, 

Farmington. 

John  Marsh, 

Hartford. 

John  Bird, 

u 

Joseph  Mason, 

" 

Samuel  Beebe, 

Danburv. 

Nathan  Mitchell, 

Stratford. 

John  Baldwin, 

Stratford. 

Samuel  Orton, 

Woodbury. 

Ezekiel  Buck, 

Wethersfield. 

Edward  Phelps, 

Windsor. 

John  Buel, 

Lebanon. 

Thomas  Pier, 

Stratford. 

Daniel  Culver, 

" 

Paul  Peck,  Jr. 

Hartford. 

Samuel  Culver, 

" 

John  Peck, 

ii 

Hezekiah  Culver, 

si 

John  Stoddard, 

Wethersfield 

Timothy  Collins, 

Guilford. 

Eleazer  Strong, 

Lebanon. 

John  Catlin, 

•  Hartford. 

Supply  Strong, 

« 

James  Church, 

u 

Joseph  Sanford, 

Stratford, 

Joseph  Gillett, 

Colchester. 

Lemuel  Sanford, 

" 

Abraham  Goodwin. 

Hartford. 

Nathaniel  Smith, 

Taunton,  Ms 

Joshua  Garritt, 

ii 

John  Smith, 

" 

William  Goodrich,    . 

Wethersfield. 

Samuel  Smedley, 

Woodbury. 

Jacob  Griswold, 

" 

Thomas  Treadway, 

Lebanon. 

John  Gay, 

Dedham,  Ms. 

Benjamin  Webster, 

Hartford. 

Benjamin  Gibbs, 

Windsor. 

Josiah  Walker, 

Woodbury. 

Jacob  Gibbe, 

U 

Joseph  Waller. 

«     J 

Benjamin  Hosford, 

ii 

Nathaniel  Woodruff, 

Farmington. 

Joseph  Harris, 

Middletown. 

Such  was  the  apprehension  of  danger  from  the  Indians,  dur- 
ing this  period,  that  while  one  portion  of  the  men  were  felling 
the  forests,  plowing,  planting  or  reaping,  others,  with  their 
muskets  in  hand,  were  stationed  in  their  vicinity  to  "  keep 
guard."     In  August  of  this  year,   (1723,)  a  meeting  of  the 


ERECTING   GARRISONS.  39 

Householders  of  Litchfield  was  held  "  to  consider  of  and  agree 
upon  some  certain  places  to  fortify  or  make  Garrisons  for  the 
safety  and  pseservation  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  town."  At 
this  meeting  it  was  resolved  that  four  Forts  or  Garrisons  should 
be  erected  in  different  sections  of  the  town.  The  names  of 
the  persons  designated  to  build  these  Forts,  are  here  inserted, 
as  the  list  is  supposed  to  embrace  all  the  proprietors  of  the 
township  at  that  date. 

"  For  building  the  West  Fort — Thomas  Pier,  Jacob  Gris- 
wold,  Ezekiel  Buck,  Nathan  Mitchell  Joseph  Birge,  Daniel 
Judson,  John  Stoddard,  Daniel  Culver,  Timothy  Seymour, 
Hezekiah  Culver,  Thomas  Treadway,  Lemuel  Sanford,  John 
Baldwin,  Samuel  Beebe  and  Joshua  Boardman. 

"  For  the  North  Garrison — Thomas  Lee,  Lieut.  John  Buel, 
John  Buel,  Joseph  Kilbourn,  Joseph  Kilbourn,  (Jr.,)  Nathan- 
iel Smith,  William  Goodrich,  Eleazer  Strong,  Samuel  Root, 
Samuel  Somers,  Josiah  Walker,  Nchcmiah  Allen  and  Supply 
Strong. 

"  For  the  East  Garrison — Nathaniel  Hosford,  Benjamin 
Hosford,  Paul  Peck,  Edward  Phelps,  Samuel  Culver,  Joshua 
Garrett,  John  Caulkins,  Joseph  Gillett,  Joseph  Mason,  Ben- 
jamin Webster,  John  Gay  and  Thomas  Griswold. 

"  For  the  South  Garrison — John  Marsh,  John  Peck,  Benja- 
min Gibbs,  Jacob  Gibbs,  Samuel  Orton,  John  Bird,  Joseph 
Harris,  Abraham  Goodwin,  Widow  Allen,  Joseph  Bird,  Joseph 
Waller,  Nathaniel  Woodruff  and  Samuel  Smedley." 

On  the  1st  of  April,  172  4,  Mr.  John  Marsh  was  chosen  Agent 
of  the  town  "  to  represent  their  state  to  the  General  Assembly 
concerning  the  settlement  and  continuing  of  their  inhabitants 
in  times  of  war  and  danger." 

In  May,  the  subject  of  the  Indian  disturbances  in  this  quar- 
ter occupied  much  of  the  time  and  attention  of  the  Council  of 
War  and  of  the  Legislature.  The  Indians  on  the  western 
lands  were  ordered  to  repair  immediately  to  their  respective 
places  of  residence,  and  not  to  go  into  the  woods  withou_t  Eng- 
lishmen in  company  with  them,  "  nor  to  be  seen,  contrary  to 
this  order,  anywhere  north  of  the  road  leading  from  Hartford 
to  Farmiugton,  Waterbury,  and  so  on  to  New  Milford."     They 


•1(1  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

were  warned  to  submit  to  this  order  on  pain  of  being  looked 
upon  as  enemies,  and  treated  accordingly.  Two  hundred  men 
from  Hartford,  Wethersfield  and  Windsor,  were  directed  to 
hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  march  at  the  shortest  notice  ; 
and  sixty  more  from  each  of  the  counties  of  New  Haven,  Fair- 
field and  New  London,  with  their  proper  officers,  were  called 
for  to  supply  the  garrisons  at  Litchfield  and  New  Milford,  when 
the  soldiers  then  at  those  posts  should  he  withdrawn.  Friend- 
ly Indians  were  to  be  employed  in  scouting  with  the  English, 
and  £20  each  were  to  be  paid  for  the  scalps  of  the  "  enemy 
Indians."  An  effective  scout  was  to  be  kept  marching  in  the 
woods  north  of  Litchfield,  between  Simsbury,  Westfield  and 
Sackett's  Farm,  [or  Sharon.]  The  thirty-two  men,  sent  on  a 
scout  from  Litchfield,  were  directed  to  be  drawn  off  in  ten 
days.     It  was  also 

"  Resolved,  That  orders  be  forthwith  sent  to  Major  Eells, 
that  he  impress  thirty  .two  able-bodied  men,  with  a  Lieuten- 
ant, and  send  them  to  Litchfield  to  he  improved  in  garrison- 
ing and  scouting,  as  may  be  thought  most  advantageous  by 
the  said  Lieutenant  and  the  commissioned'  officers  in  Litch- 
field— and  to  continue  in  said  service  until  they  shall  be  releas- 
ed by  further  orders;  and  that  Major  Burr  send  orders  to 
detail  nine  effective  men,  with  a  Sergeant,  to  march  to  New 
Milford,  to  be  employed  in  scouting  for  the  protection  of  the 
frontier  ;  and  a  scout  of  six  men  are  to  be  employed  at  Sims- 
bury,  for  the  discovery  of  the  enemy  in  that  quarter  ; — and  all 
the  aforesaid  scouts  are  directed  to  take  dogs  icith  them  into 
the  service  of  scouting  ;  and  that  the  scout  now  out  from  Wind- 
sor, be  drawn  off  on  Tuesday  next;  and  the  scout  now  at 
Litchfield  to  draw  off  upon  the  present  appointed  scouts  arriv- 
ing there." 

"  The  summer  of  1724,"  says  Mr.  Woodruff,  "  was  a  period 
of  excitement  and  alarm.  The  war  between  the  English  and 
the  French  was  then  prevailing,  and  the  latter  used  great  efforts 
to  incite  the  northern  Indians  to  attack  the  frontier  settlements 
of  the  whites."  The  Hon.  Noah  A.  Phelps,  in  his  History  of 
Simsbury,  remarks — "  The  conduct  of  the  Indians  at  the  north 
and  west,  during  this  year,  and  especially  their  hostile  move- 


MINUTES   OF   THE    COUNCIL   OF   WAR.  41 

merits  in  the  vicinity  of  Litchfield,  induced  the  government  to 

take  such  precautionary  measures  as  the  occasion  demanded, 
in  order  to  furnish  protection  to  the  weak  and  exposed  settle- 
ments. A  line  of  scouts  was  established,  extending  from  Litctr 
6eld  to  Turkey  Hills,  curving  around  the  most  northerly  and 
ily  settlements  in  Simsbury.  On  the  14th  of  June,  17:14, 
Capt.  Richard  Case,  of  Simsbury,  was  directed  to  employ  ten 
men  on  this  scouting  party,  to  rendezvous  at  Litchfield.  The 
men  employed  in  this  service  were  Serg't.  Jonathan  Holcomb, 
.John  Hill,  Nathaniel  Holcomb,  Joseph  Mills,  William  Buell, 
Samuel  Pettibone,  Joseph  Wilcoxon,  Benjamin  Humphrey, 
Nathaniel  Westover  and  Charles  Humphrey — all  belonging  to 
Simsbury.     They  continued  in  the  service  till  October." 

Among  the  papers  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
Stat'',  is  the  following  memorandum  made  by  Gov.  Talcott : 

"A  brief  account  of  the  minutes  of  the  Council  of  War  Book,  of 

men  sent  into  the  service  this  summer,  from  May  24.  to  October  6, 

1724: 

••  After  the  Assembly  rose,  ten  men  were  sent  to  Litchfield,  till 
June  24. 

June  25 — Four  men  sent  to  Litchfield  from  Hartford. 

June  30 — Major  Burr  sent  ten  men,  and  Major  Eles  ten  men,  to 
New  Milfordand  Litchfield. 

July  27 — Six  men  sent  from  Woodbury  to  keep  garrison  at  She- 
paug  twenty  days. 

July  30 — Major  Burr  sent  fifteen  men,  and  Major  Eles  fifteen  men, 
to  New  Milford,  Shepaag  and  Litchfield. 

August  18 — Fifteen  men  were  improved  in  scouts  under  the  com- 
mand of  Sergt  Joseph  Churchill,*  at  Litchfield  and  New  Milford ; 
have  orders  sent  to  the  5th  instant  of  October  to  draw  off  and  disband. 

October,  1724  JOSEPH  TALCOTT." 

The  Assembly,  at  the  October  Session,  voted  "  that  the  gar- 
-  of  soldiers  at  Xew  Milford,  Shepaug  and  Litchfield,  be 
forthwith  drawn  off  and  disbanded ;  and  that  Captain  Joseph 
Minor,  of  Woodbury,  give  notice  thereof  to  the  officers  under 
whose  command  said  soldiers  are,  that  they  be  drawn  off  ac- 
cordingly, by  sending  a  copy  of  this  to  said  officers." 

*  Sergt.  Joseph  Churchill,  of  Wethersfield,  presented  a  Memorial  to  the  General 
Assembly,  in  May,  1725,  stating  that  during  the  preceding  summer  he  had  been  em- 
ployed in  His  Majesty's  service  for  fifteen  weeks  at  Litchfield,  but  had  received  no 
pay  for  Sundays.  He  therefore  asks  pay  for  fifteen  Sundays.  [Granted  by  the  Low- 
er House  ;  lost  in  the  t'pper  House.) 

6 


42  HISTORY   OF    LITCHFIELD. 

By  our  Town  Records  it  appears  that  on  the  15th  of  October, 
1724,  a  Memorial  to  the  General  Assembly  was  agreed  upon, 
and  ordered  to  be  signed  by  John  Marsh,  in  the  name  of  the 
town,  and  sent  to  New  Haven  by  the  hand  of  Mr.  Timothy 
Collins,  to  be  delivered  to  the  Court.  This  Memorial  is  not 
on  record,  but  is  fortunately  preseved  among  the  files  in  the 
Secretary's  Office  in  Hartford.  It  is  an  impressive  and  inter- 
esting document,  and  eloquently  details  the  trials  and  perils 
encountered  by  our  fathers  amid  these  now  peaceful  scenes. 
It  here  appears  in  print  for  the  first  time  : 

"  At  a  Meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Litchfield,  Oc- 
tober the  15th,  1824 — 

"  A  Memorial  of  the  distressed  state  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town 
of  Litchfield,  which  we  humbly  lay  before  the  Honorable  General 
Assembly  now  sitting  in  New  Haven : 

Mat  it  please  your  Honors  to  hear  us  in  a  few  things.  Inasmuch 
as  there  was  a  prospect  of  the  wai''s  moving  into  these  parts  the  last 
year,  the  Governor  and  Council — moved  with  paternal  regards  for 
our  safety — ordered  Garrisons  forthwith  to  be  erected  in  this  town. 
In  obedience  thereto,  laying  aside  all  other  business,  we  engaged  in 
that  work,  and  built  our  fortifications  without  any  assistance  from 
abroad,  whereby  our  seed-time  in  some  measure  was  lost,  and  conse- 
quently our  harvest  this  year  small.  The  seat  of  the  war  in  this  col- 
ony (in  the  whole  course  of  the  concluding  summer,)  being  in  this 
town,  notwithstanding  the  special  care  taken  of  us  by  the  Honorable 
Committee  of  War,  and  the  great  expense  the  colony  has  been  at  for 
our  security,  yet  the  circumstances  of  our  town  remain  very  difficult 
in  several  respects.  The  danger  and  charge  of  laboring  abroad  is  so 
great,  that  a  considerable  part  of  our  improvable  lands  remote  from 
the  town  lie  unimproved,  whereby  we  are  greatly  impoverished,  so 
that  many  of  our  inhabitants  are  rendered  incapable  of  paying  their 
taxes  which  have  been  granted  for  the  settling  and  maintaining  of  our 
ministry  and  building  a  meeting-house,  (which  we  are  yet  destitute  of,) 
"whereby  that  great  work  seems  to  be  under  a  fatal  necessity  of  being 
neglected. 

Many  of  our  Inhabitants  are  drawn  off,  which  renders  us  very  weak 
and  unable  to  defend  ourselves  from  the  common  enemy,  and  the  du- 
ties of  Watching  and  Warding  are  become  very  heavy. 

By  reason  of  the  late  war,  our  lands  are  become  of  little  value,  so 
that  they  who  are  desirous  of  selling,  to  subsist  their  families  and  de- 
fray public  charges  which  necessarily  arise  in  a  new  place,  are  una- 
ble to  do  it.  Your  humble  petitioners  therefore  pray  this  Honorable 
Court  would  be  pleased  to  take  thought  of  our  difficult  circumstances, 
and  spread  the  garment  of  pity  over  our  present  distress,  which  moves 
us  to  beg  relief  in  several  respects : 

1.  That  our  deserting  proprietors,  who  do  not  personally  inhabit, 


MEMORIALS.  43 

may  be  ordered  to  settle  themselves  or  others  upon  their  Rights, 
which  will  not  only  be  an  encouragement  to  those  that  tarry,  and  ren- 
der uiir  burden  more  tolerable,  but  prevent  much  charge  to  the  colony. 

2.  That  our  Inhabitants  may  be  under  some  wages,  that  they  may 
be  capable  of  subsisting  in  the  town,  and  not  labor  under  the  difficulty 
of  war  and  famine  together. 

3.  That  some  addition  be  made  to  the  price  of  billeting  soldiers, 
especially  for  this  town,  where  the  provision,  at  least  a  greater  part 
of  it,  hath  been  fetched  near  twenty  miles  for  the  billeting  of  soldiers 
this  year 

4.  That  some  act  be  made  concerning  Fortified  Houses,  that  the 
people  may  have  free  liberty  of  the  use  of  said  Houses  as  there  is 
occasion. 

o.  That  there  may  be  an  explanation  of  the  Act  of  the  Governor 
and  Council,  made  the  last  summer,  which  obliges  every  proprietor  of 
a  home  lot  to  attend  the  military,  by  himself  or  some  other  person  in  his 
room,  as  the  law  directs,  in  case  a  person  hath  fifty  pounds  in  the 
public  list;  for  many  of  our  deserters  have  put  off  their  home  lots  and 
some  of  their  lands,  so  that  many  of  them  have  not  a  whole  Right  or 
a  home  lot  in  this  place,  and  so  escape  execution  upon  that  act. 

As  to  the  Indians  hunting  in  our  woods,  we  submit  to  your  Honors' 
ordering  that  affair  as  in  your  wisdom  you  shall  think  best  for  us. 

All  of  which  we  humbly  recommend  to  the  consideration  of  this 
Honorable  Assembly,  and  ourselves  your  servants  desiring  Heaven's 
blessing  to  rest  upon  you,  and  that  God  Almighty  may  be  with  you, 
to  direct  in  all  weighty  affairs  which  are  before  you,  and  make  you 
rich  blessings  in  your  day  and  generation,  your  humble  petitioners 
shall,  as  in  duty  bound,  ever  pray.  JOHN  MARSH, 

In  the  name  and  by  desire  of  the  rest." 

On  this  Memorial,  a  Committee  of  Conference  was  appoint- 
ed by  the  two  branches  of  the  Legislature,  consisting  of  Samuel 
Eells  and  Matthew  Allyn,  Esquires,  on  the  part  of  the  Upper 
House,  and  Capt.  John  Fitch,  Capt.  David  Goodrich  and  Mr. 
George  Clark,  on  the  part  of  the  Lower  House.  The  result 
of  their  deliberations  was  embodied  in  the  following  enactment, 
which  passed  both  Houses  at  the  October  Session,  1724  : 

"  Upon  the  Memorial  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Litchfield — 
Beit  Enacted  and  Ordained,  by  the  Governor,  Assistants  and  Dep- 
uties in  General  Court  assembled,  and  by  authority  of  the  same, 

That  whosoever  hath  or  ought  to  have  been  an  Inhabitant,  and  is 
a  Proprietor  of  Lands  within  the  said  Town  of  Litchfield,  or  have  de 
serted  and  left  said  Town  since  difficulties  have  arisen  there  on  the 
account  of  an  Enemy,  and  shall  neglect,  for  the  space  of  one  month 
after  the  rising  of  this  Assembly,  to  return  to  the  said  Town  and  there 
abide,  or  send  some  man  in  their  room  and  stead  to  perform  and  do 
the  necessary  duties  of  Watching  and  Warding,  and  the  like,  during 


44  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

the  continuance  of  the  difficulties  of  the  war,  shall  lose  and  forfeit  all 
their  right  and  estate  in  and  upon  any  and  all  of  the  Lands  aforesaid, 
and  their  estate,  right  and  interest  therein,  unto  the  Corporation  of 
Connecticut.  And  Further,  it  is  Provided,  That  if  any  other  man, 
Leing  now  a  Proprietor  and  Inhabitant,  or  a  Proprietor  and  ought  to 
have  been  an  Inhabitant  in  said  Town,  shall  hereafter,  during  the 
continuanee  of  fear  and  danger  of  the  enemy,  desert  and  leave  the 
said  Town,  or  neglect  to  repair  thither  and  there  personally  abide, 
without  constantly  providing  some  other  sufficient  person  in  his  room 
and  stead,  there  to  perform  all  duties  as  before  mentioned  in  the 
ease  of  those  who  have  already  deserted,  shall  likewise  forfeit  their 
estates  in  and  to  all  the  lands  in  the  Town  aforesaid,  unto  this  Corpora- 
tion. And  Further,  it  is  Provided,  That  upon  complaint  made  to  the 
Committee  of  War,  at  Hartford,  of  or  against  any  such  deserter,  upon 
their  satisfaction  of  the  truth  thereof,  the  said  Committee  shall  declare 
the  forfeiture ;  and  the  said  Committee  are  empowered  to  admit  any 
other  person  who  shall  go  and  abide  there  in  the  room  of  the  deserter 
and  perform  the  necessary  duties  as  aforesaid,  and  he  shall  hereafter 
receive  a  grant  from  this  Court  of  the  estate  escheated  as  aforesaid  for 
his  continuation  therein. 

And  it  is  Further  Ordered,  That  five  shillings  per  week   shall  be 
allowed  for  billeting  soldiers  in  Litchfield  for  the  summer  last  past." 

On  the  18th  of  January,  1724-'o,  a  meeting  of  the  inhabi- 
ants  of  the  town  was  held,  on  which  occasion  it  was  voted 
that  a  Committee  should  be  chosen  "  to  consider  of  and  make 
application  to  the  Council  of  War  in  behalf  of  the  Town,  for 
what  they  judge  needful  for  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  Town 
in  this  time  of  trouble  and  danger."  Rev.  Timothy  Collins, 
Mr.  Nathaniel  Hosford,  Lient.  John  Bucl,  Ensign  Nathaniel 
•Smith,  Sergt.  John  Stoddard,  Mr.  Joseph  Bird  and  Mr.  John 
Marsh,  were  appointed  said  Committee. 

At  a  Town  Meeting  held  on  the  10th  of  May,  1725,  "  it  was 
voted  and  agreed,  that  there  shall  forthwith  be  erected  one 
good  and  substantial  Mount,  or  place  convenient  for  sentinels 
to  stand  in  for  the  better  discovering  of  the  enemy  and  for  the 
safety  of  said  sentinels  when  upon  their  watch  or  ward ;  that 
is  to  say,  one  Mount  at  each  of  the  four  Forts  that  were  first 
agreed  upon  and  are  already  built  in  said  Town,  which  Mounts 
shall  be  built  at  the  Town's  cost,  by  order  and  at  the  discretion 
of  such  men  as  the  Town  shall  appoint  to  oversee  and  carry  on 
the  above  said  work.  At  the  same  Meeting,  Voted,  That  Jo- 
seph Kilbourn,  shall  take  the  care  of  building  the  Mount  at  the 
North  Fort,  and  Samuel  Culver  shall  take  the  care  of  building 


MEMORIAL.  45 

the  Mount  at  the  East  Fort,  and  Jacob  Griswold  at  the  West 
.  and  Joseph  Bird  at  the  South  Fort/' 
During-  the  Legislative  Session  then  next  ensuing,  the  Com- 
mittee already  named  presented  the  following  Memorial,  viz.  : 

u  To  the  Honorable  Governor,  Assistants  and  Representatives,  in  Gen- 
eral Court  convened — 

The  Petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Litchfield  humbly 
Bheweth  :  That  whereas  your  Petitioners,  notwithstanding  all  that  this 
Honorable  Court  hath  done  for  us,  which  we  accept  with  all  thank- 
fulness, remain  under  great  trouble  by  reason  of  the  war,  which  hath 
so  much  hindered  us  in  our  husbandy,  which  hindrance  yet  remains 
upon  us,  and  hath  already  greatly  shortened  our  crops.  If  the  war 
continues,  we  shall  scarcely  be  able  to  raise  our  bread-corn  or  support 
ourselves  in  this  place,  without  some  relief,  either  by  putting  our  In- 
habitants under  some  pay  from  the  Government,  or  by  some  other 
way  as  your  Honors  in  your  wisdom  shall  think  best  for  the  whole  of 
the  Inhabitants  ;  and  that  something  be  further  done  concerning  our 
non-residents,  by  reason  of  whose  absence  we  are  great  sufferers  ;  and 
that  some  act  be  made  concerning  liberty  in  garrison-houses  ;  and  that 
some  money  be  granted  for  finishing  our  Garrisons,  which  we  are 
very  unable  to  do  ourselves.  All  which  your  humble  Petitioners 
submit  to  your  Honors'  great  wisdom  ;  and  that  you  may  be  made  a 
rich  and  lasting  blessing  in  your  day  and  generation,  your  Petitioners 
shall,  as  in  duty  bound,  ever  pray. 

Dated  at  Litchfield  the  25th  day  of  May,  A.  D,  1725. 
JOHN  IxARSH,  1  P 

NATHANIEL  HOSFORD,     ^ommittee   or 
TIMOTHY  COLLINS,  )>      r~s       c 

JOHN  DUEL,  I      f0:]"0?,,, 

JOSEPH  BIRD,  J      ^ltctmeld- 

The  Upper  House  appointed  His  Honor  the  Deputy  Gov- 
ernor and  Major  Wolcott  a  Committee  on  the  Litchfield  Me- 
morial ;  Major  John  Burr  and  Messrs.  Seymour  and  Leete 
were  appointed  a  similar  Committee  on  the  part  of  the  Lower 
House.  The  following  Resolutions,  which  soon  after  passed 
both  Houses,  probably  emanated  from  them  : 

"  This  Assembly,  taking  into  consideration  the  difficulties  of  the 
Town  of  Litchfield  in  this  time  of  trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  that 
sundry  persons  claiming  Rights  in  said  Town  are  not  resident  in 
the  same,  have  therefore  Resolved  : 

1.  That  each  person  claiming  a  Right  or  Rights  in  said  Town,  that 
shall  not  be  constantly  residing  in  said  Town,  shall  pay  and  forfeit, 
towards  defraying  the  public  charges  in  defending  the  same,  the  sum 
of  £30  per  annum  for  each  Right  he  claims,  and  so  pro  rata  for  any 
time  he  shall  be  absent  without  allowance  from  Capt.  Marsh,    John 


46  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Buel  and  Nathaniel  Hosford,  or  any  two  of  them  ;  and  by  the  same 
rule  of  proportion  for  part  Rights.  And  if  an}'  such  elaimer  shall 
neglect  payment  of  the  said  forfeiture  at  the  time  and  to  the  Commit- 
tee hereafter  appointed  in  this  Act,  the  said  Committee  are  hereby 
fully  empowered  to  Bel]  so  much  of  the  Lands  in  Litchfield  claimed  by 
such  non-resident  person,  as  will  answer  the  sum  so  forfeited  ;  and  all 
sales  and  alienations  made  of  such  Lands  by  the  Committee,  shall  be 
good  for  the  holding  the  same  to  the  grantees  and  their  heirs  forever. 

And  this  Assembly  appoint  Major  Roger  Wolcott,  Capt.  Nathaniel 
Stanley,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Seymour,  a  Committee  to  take  account 
of  all  forfeitures  that  shall  arise  by  force  of  this  act,  and  upon  the  non- 
payment ot  the  same,  to  make  sale  of  the  Lands  as  aforesaid. 

And  it  is  Further  Ordered,  That  all  such  forfeitures  shall  be  paid 
to  the  said  Committee  at  the  State  House  in  Hartford,  on  the  first 
Monday  in  June,  which  will  be  in  the  year  1726  ;  and  the  said  Com- 
mittee are  to  deliver  all  such  sum  or  sums  as  they  shall  receive  by 
force  of  this  act,  unto  the  Treasurer  of  this  Colony,  taking  his  receipt 
for  the  same — the  said  Committee  to  make  their  accounts  with  the 
Assembly  in  October,  provided  nevertheless  that  the  Right  of  Joseph 
Harris  is  saved  from  any  forfeiture  by  force  of  this  act.  And  it  is 
further  provided,  that  if  any  such  elaimer  shall  keep  an  able-bodied 
soldier  in  said  Litchfield,  who  shall  attend  duty  as  the  Inhabitants  do, 
such  elaimer  shall  be  excused  for  his  non-residence  during  such  time. 

2.  And  it  is  Further  Enacted,  That  all  houses  that  are  fortified  in 
said  Town,  shall  be  free  for  the  use  of  the  people  and  soldiers  in  the 
garrison. 

3.  That  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Town  shall  be  allowed  five  shill- 
ings and  six  pence  per  week  for  billeting  soldiers. 

4.  That  Mounts  shall  be  built  in  the  Forts  that  are  already  made 
in  said  Town,  at  the  public  cost  of  the  Colony  ;  and  Capt.  Marsh,  John 
Buel  and  Nathaniel  Hosford,  or  any  two  of  them,  are  appointed  to 
build  the  same,  keeping  fair  accounts  of  their  doings  herein,  and  lay 
the  same  before  the  Committee  for  the  War,  who  are  directed  to  give 
orders  to  the  Treasurer  to  pay  what  shall  be  justly  due  to  them  for 
their  services. 

5.  That  all  able-bodied  young  men  that  are  dwellers- in  said  Town 
and  are  eighteen  years  old  and  upwards,  and  have  no  right-to  any 
Lands  in  said  Town,  and  shall  constantly  reside  therein  until  October 
next,  and  do  duty  with  the  Inhabitants,  shall  be  allowed  three  shillings 
per  week  out  of  the  Public  Treasury,  until  October  next,  unless  the 
Committee  for  the  War  in  Hartford  shall  order  to  the  contrary  for 
part  of  said  time. 

G.  That  every  able-bodied  man  that  is  fit  for  service  to  the  accep- 
tance of  the  commissioned  officers,  that  hath  a  Right  in  said  Town, 
and  shall  constantly  reside  therein  and  do  his  duty  according  to  the 
command  of  the  captain  until  October  next,  shall  be  allowed  out  of  the 
Treasury  eighteen  pence  per  week,  unless  the  Committee  for  the  War 
shall  order  to  the  contrary  for  part  of  the  time." 

Iii  consequence  of  the  provision  of  the  4th  Resolution,  it  was 


THE    INDIAN    WAR    CONTINUES.  47 

u  Voted,  That  the  persons  appointed  by  the  Town  to  take  the  care 
of  building  the  Mounts  at  the  Forts,  shall  proceed  no  farther  by  virtue 
of  th<-ir  orders  from  the  Town,  that  so  the  Mounts  may  be  built  at  the 
charge  of  the  Colony." 

At  the  same  Legislative  Session,  Messrs.  Nathaniel  Wat- 
son, of  Windsor,  and  Matthew  Woodruff,  of  Farmington,  each 
presented  a  petition  for  a  bounty  for  having  shot  an  Indian 
dining  the  preceding  summer,  while  in  the  King's  service  at 
Litchfield.  The  statements  of  Messrs.  Samuel  Beebe,  Shubael 
Griswold  and  Joseph  Finney,  on  the  subject,  are  on  file  in 
Hartford.     The  following  is  from  Mr.  Beebe  : 

"  Samuel  Beebe,  of  lawful  age,  testifieth  and  saith — That  lie  heard 
Matthew  Woodruff  say  that  lie  thought  he  had  not  struck  the  Indian 
that  he  shot  at,  but  thought  he  had  overshot  him.  The  next  morning 
we  went  out  to  the  place  where  we  had  the  fight,  and  then  said  Wat- 
son went  to  the  place  where  he  stood  when  he  shot  at  the  Indian,  and 
then  directed  a  man  to  the  spot  where  the  Indian  stood  that  he  shot 
at,  and  there  was  the  blood  found  very  plentiful;  and  those  that  were 
there,  followed  the  blood  to  the  place  where  we  did  think  the  said  In- 
dian did  die,  and  further.  The  Indian  that  said  Watson  shot  at,  was 
About  six  or  seven  rods  from  the  place  where  the  Indian  stood  that 
Woodruff  shot  at  SAMUEL  BEEBE. 

Litchfield,  May  the  24,  1725." 

The  annexed  Petition  is  also  copied  from  the  colonial  files : 
"  To  the  Honorable  JosErn  Taecott,  Governor  of  His  Majesty's 
Colony  of  Connecticut — Whereas,  When  your  humble  Petitioners  were 
impressed  to  come  up  to  Litchfield  to  keep  garrison,  we  were  encour- 
aged by  our  officers  to  come,  because  it  was  but  for  a  little  while  we 
should  be  continued  here,  just  till  the  Inhabitants  could  get  their  seed 
into  the  ground.  That  business  being  over,  and  our  necessity  to  be  at 
home  being  very  great,  we  humbly  pray  your  Honor  to  dismiss  or  ex- 
change us  by  the  beginning  of  June  ;  wherebv  vour  Honor  will  great- 
ly oblige  your  Humble  Petioners.  JOSEPH  ROSE, 
Litchfield,  May  23,  1725.  In  behalf  of  the  rest." 

During  the  summer  of  1725,  the  war  with  the  Eastern  Indians 
still  continued,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  the  people  of 
Litchfield  suffered  in  consequence,  except  by  being  kept  in  a 
state  of  suspense  and  anxiety.  At  the  October  session  of  the 
Legislature,  it  was  voted  that  "  forasmuch  as  the  continuance 
of  the  unhappy  war  between  Massachusetts  and  the  Eastern 
Indians  is  likely  to  endanger  our  frontiers,  and  the  county  of 
Hampshire,  this  Assembly  empowers  the  Governor  and  the 
Committee  of  War  at  Hartford,  to  impress  and  send  forth  such 
forces  as  they  shall  think  needful  to  defend  our  own  frontiers  ; 


48  HISTOET   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

and  ill  case  of  a  threatened  attack  upon  Hampshire  county,  a 
force  may  be  sent  to  aid  them,  but  they  are  not  compelled  to 
keep  garrison  there." 

It  is  not  until  a  year  later,  (October,  1726,)  that  the  records 
give  indication  that  any  immediate  danger  was  apprehended 
by  the  people  of  this  town.  At  this  date,  "  upon  news  that  the 
Indian  enemy  were  coming  down  upon  our  frontiers,"  it  was 
resolved  "  that  there  be  forthwith  thirty  effective  men  raised  in 
the  towns  of  New  Haven  and  Wallingford,  to  march  to  Litch- 
field, to  be  under  the  direction  and  command  of  Capt.  John 
Marsh,  of  Litchfield,  for  the  defense  of  said  town — twenty  of 
whom  shall  be  raised  in  New  Haven,  and  ten  in  Wallingford  ; 
and  that  a  Sergeant  march  with  them  directly  from  each  of 
said  towns  ;  and  that  the  Major  of  the  county  make  out  his 
orders  to  the  Captain  in  said  town  accordingly." 

Twenty  effective  men  were  at  the  same  time  ordered  imme- 
diately to  be  raised  in  Milford,  and  marched  to  New  Milford, 
to  be  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Stephen  Nobles,  for  the  de- 
fense of  that  town. 

Captains  John  Marsh  and  Stephen  Nobles  were  directed  at 
once  to  "  send  forth  small  scouts,  to  call,  and,  in  the  name  of 
the  Assembly,  to  command,  all  the  friendly  Indians  to  retire 
to  their  respective  towns  or  places  where  they  belong,  and  not 
to  be  seen  in  the  woods  except  with  Englishmen."  The  friend, 
ly  Indians  were  to  be  employed  for  the  defense  of  the  frontiers- 
and  for  scouting — and  were  to  be  paid  eighteen  pence  per  day 
while  engaged  in  the  latter  service,  and  twelve  pence  per  day 
for  warding  and  keeping  garrison  in  towns.  Five  men  were 
directed  to  be  sent  from  Woodbury  for  the  defense  of  Shcpaug 
until  the  danger  should  be  over.  Captains  Minor  and  Preston 
were  directed  to  order  their  Lieutenants  to  see  to  it  that  the 
men  were  forthwith  sent.  These  men  were  placed  under 
the  command  of  Lieut.  Ephraim  Warner. 

Though  Litchfield  had  been  nominally  incorporated,  "  with 
all  the  powers  and  privileges  of  the  other  towns  in  this  colony," 
in  1719,  she  was  yet  without  a  Patent,  or  Town  Charter.  It 
appears  to  have  been  regarded  by  the  settlers  as  a  matter  of 
importance  as  well  as  of  etiquette,  that  the  town  should  be 


APPLICATION    FOR   A    PATENT.  49 

more  fully  recognized  and  protected,  by  letters  patent  under 
the  great  colonial  seal.  Accordingly,  in  May,  1723,  John 
Marsh  was  appointed  by  his  fellow-townsmen  an  Agent  to  apply 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  this  purpose — who  presented  to 
that  body  the  following  Petition  : 

"To  the  Honorable  Governor,  Council  and  Representatives,  in  Gen- 
eral Court  assembled  at  Hartford,  May  9th,  A.  D.  1723.  The  Pe- 
tition of  John  Marsh,  Agent  for  the  Town  of  Litchfield,  humbly 
sheweth  : 

That  this  Honorable  Assembly  did  give  and  grant  to  the  Inhabi- 
tants of  said  town  of  Litchfield,  all  that  land  lying  north  of  the  town 
of  Waterbury,  and  to  begin  at  Waterbury  north-west  corner,  and  from 
thence  to  run  in  a  west  line  to  Shepaug  river  and  to  bound  east  on 
"Waterbury  river,  and  west  by  said  Shepaug,  and  to  run  north  seven 
miles  and  a  half;  as  more  at  large  by  the  record  of  said  grant  may 
appear. 

That  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Litchfield,  for  great  and  valuable  con- 
siderations, have  made  a  purchase  of  the  said  Lands  of  the  towns  of 
Hartford  and  Windsor,  who  had  a  claim  thereto  by  virtue  of  a  grant 
anciently  made  by.  this  Assembly  to  them. 

That  the  Inhabitants  aforesaid  have,  through  many  fatigues,  perils 
and  dangers,  removed  themselves  and  families  thither,  and  undergone 
the  great  hardships  of  settling  a  new  town  ;  the  which  your  Honors 
will  easily  conceive  to  be  attended  with,  since  it  is  so  remote  a  settle- 
ment and  a  frontier  to  the  government.  So  that  if  the  blessing  of 
Heaven  shall  rest  upon  them,  as  it  hath  hitherto  seemed  to  smile  upon 
the  undertaking,  there  is  a  prospect  that  they  in  a  short  time  may  be- 
come numerous,  and  succeed  in  some  measure  proportionable  to  the 
views  they  first  had  therein. 

That  the  Inhabitants,  excited  by  an  observation  made  on  the  unhap- 
py disputes  that  have  oft  arisen  in  towns  by  a  long  delay  of  settling 
and  ascertaining  their  bounds,  and  determining  the  property  of  the 
Lands  within,  and  being  desirous  in  time  to  secure  themselves  from 
such  uncomfortable  and  almost  undoing  disputes,  have  procured  their 
lines  to  be  run  and  necessary  monuments  to  be  made  therein,  on  the 
north  and  south  of  said  Litchfield,  the  procuring  whereof  (our  present 
low  circumstances  considered,  we  being  in  our  infancy,)  must  needs 
be  very  burthensome. 

The  said  Inhabitants,  by  their  Agent  aforesaid,  do  therefore  humbly 
pray  this  Honorable  Assembly  to  give  them  a  more  particular  grant 
of  the  said  town,  and  confirmation  thereof,  by  a  Patent  under  the  seal 
of  the  ( iovernment,  in  due  form,  and  }rour  Honors'  humble  petitioners 
shall,  as  in  duty  bound,  ever  pray.  JOHN  MARSH." 

No  sooner  was  this  application  known,  than  Woodbury  sent 
in  a  remonstrance,  particularly  objecting  to  the  southern 
bounds  of  Litchfield,  as  claimed  by  her.     A  Patent,  however, 

7 


50 


HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 


was  drawn  up  in  due  form,  bearing  date,  May  19,  1724.  For 
some  cause,  (probably  on  account  of  the  continued  remon- 
strances of  Woodbury,)  the  instrument  was  not  officially  grant- 
ed to  the  parties  applying  therefor,  until  several  years  subse- 
quent to  its  date.  In  May,  1731,  Messrs.  John  Bird  and  Ben- 
jamin Hosford,  "  Agents  for  the  Proprietors  of  the  Town  of 
Litchfield,"  presented  a  Memorial  to  the  Legislature,  stating 
that  they  arc  yet  without  a  Patent,  and  praying  that  "  the 
difficulty  and  contention  and  impoverishing  lawsuits,  because 
of  an  unsettled  line,  may  be  prevented  by  a  Patent  according 
to  our  purchase  and  grant,"  as  is  therein  expressed.  The 
Legislature,  in  response,  gave  directions  that  the  proprietors  of 
Woodbury  should  be  notified  of  the  application,  and  warned  to 
appear  before  the  Assembly,  and  show  cause,  if  any  they  had, 
why  the  memorial  should  not  be  granted.  As  nothing  further 
is  found  relating  to  the  matter,  it  is  presumed  that  the  petition 
was  this  time  successful.  A  copy  of  the  Patent  is  here  given, 
viz.  : 

"  The  Governor  and  Company  of  the  English  Colony  of  Connecticut 
in  New  England,  to  all  to  whom  these  Presents  shall  come, 
Greeting  : 

KNOW  YE,  That  the  said  Governor  and  Company,  by  virtue  of 
the  power  granted  unto  them  by  our  late  sovereign,  King  Charles  the 
Second,  of  blessed  memory,  in  and  by  His  Majesty's  Patent,  under  the 
great  seal  of  England,  dated  the  twenty-third  day  of  April,  in  the  four- 
teenth year  of  His  Majesty's  reign,  and  in  pursuance  thereof  and  in 
General  Court  assembled,  according  to  charter,  did,  by  their  act,  made 
May  fourteenth,  Anno  Domini,  1719,  upon  the  humble  petition  of 
Lieut.  John  Marsh,  of  Hartford,  within  the  sa)d  Colony,  and  Dea. 
John  Buell,  of  Lebanon,  grant  unto  the  said  John  Marsh  and  John 
Buell,  and  partners,  settlers,  being  in  the  whole  fifty-seven  in  number, 
liberty  to  settle  a  town  westward  of  Farmington,  in  the  county  of 
Hartford,  at  a  place  called  Bantam,  which  town  was  to  be  in  length 
east  and  west,  eight  miles  three  quarters,  and  twenty-eight  rods,  and 
in  breadth,  seven  miles  and  an  half — to  be  bounded  east  on  Mattatuck 
river,  west  part  on  Shepaug  river  and  part  on  the  wilderness,  north 
by  the  wilderness,  and  south  by  Waterbury  bounds  and  a  west  line 
from  Waterbury  corner  to  the  said  Shepaug  river.  And  Ordered, 
that  the  said  town  should  be  called  by  the  name  of  Litciified,  as 
more  fully  appears  by  the  said  act.  The  said  Governor  and  Company, 
by  virtue  of  the  aforesaid  power,  and  by  their  special  act  bearing  evi-n 
date  with  these  presents,  for  divers  good  causes  and  considerations 
them  hereunto  moving,  have  given,  granted,  and  by  these  prese'1: 
for  themselves,  their  heirs  and  successors,  do  fully,  clearly  and  absO- 


THE   PATENT.  51 

lutely  give,  grant,  ratify  and  confirm,  unto  the  said  John  Marsh  and 
John  Buell,  and  the  rest  of  the  said  partners,  settlers  of  said  tract  of 
land  [in  their  actual,  full  and  peaceable  possession  and  seizin  being] 
and  to  their  heirs  and  assigns,  and  such  as  shall  legally  succeed  and 
represent  them,  forever,  [in  such  proportions  as  they,  the  said  partners 
and  settlers,  or  any  of  them,  respectively,  have  right  in  and  are  law- 
fully possessed  of  the  same,]  all  the  said  tract  of  land  now  called  and 
known  by  the  name  of  Litchfield,  in  the  county  of  Hartford  aforesaid, 
be  the  same  more  or  less,  butted  and  bounded  as  followeth,  viz:  Be- 
ginning at  the  north  east  corner,  at  a  tree  with  stones  about  it,  standing 
in  the  crotch  of  Mattatuck  river  aforesaid,  and  running  southerly  by  the 
side  of  said  river  until  it  meets  with  Waterbury  bounds,  where  is  a 
well  known  white  oak  tree  standing  about  fifteen  rods  west  of  said 
Mattatuck  river,  anciently  marked  with  IS  :  IN:  From  thence  run- 
ning west  twenty  three  degrees  thirty  minutes  south,  to  two  white  oak 
trees  growing  out  of  one  root,  with  stones  about  them,  and  west  one 
mile  and  a  half  to  Waterbury  north  west  corner  bound  mark  ;  and 
from  thence  west  five  degrees  thirty  minutes  north  to  Shepaug  river, 
where  is  a  tree  and  stones  about  it  butting  upon  Waterbury  township  ; 
then  beginning  at  the  first  mentioned  tree  by  Mattatuck  river  and  run- 
ning westward  into  the  wilderness,  to  an  oak  tree  marked  and  stones 
laid  around  it  ;  then  south  to  a  crotch  in  the  Shepaug  river  ;  and  thence 
by  the  westernmost  branch  of  Shepaug  river  to  Woodbury  bounds. 
And  also  all  and  singular,  the  lands,  trees,  woods,  underwoods,  wood- 
grounds,  uplands,  arable  lands,  meadows,  moors,  marshes,  pastures, 
ponds,  waters,  rivers,  brooks,  fishings,  fowlings,  huntings,  mines,  min- 
erals, quarries,  and  precious  stones,  upon  and  within  the  said  land. 
And  all  other  rights,  members,  hereditaments,  easements  and  com- 
modities whatsoever,  to  the  same  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining, 
so  butted  and  bounded  as  is  herein  before  particularly  expressed  or 
mentioned,  and  the  reversion  or  the  reversions,  remainder  or  remain- 
ders, rights,  royalties,  privileges,  powers  or  jurisdictions  whatsoever, 
of  and  in  all  and  singular  the  said  tract  of  land  and  premises  hereby 
granted,  and  of  and  in  any  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof.  And 
tin- rents,  services  and  profits  to  the  same  incident,  belonging  or  apper- 
taining—  To  Have  and  to  Hold  all  the  said  tract  of  land,  and  all  and 
singular  other  the  premises  hereby  given  or  granted,  or  mentioned,  or 
intended  to  be  granted,  with  all  the  privileges  and  appurtenances 
thereof,  unto  the  said  John  Marsh  and  John  Buell,  and  the  rest  of  the 
partners,  settlers  of  the  same,  their  heirs  and  assigns,  to  their  only 
proper  use,  benefit  and  behoof,  forever  ;  and  to  and  for  no  other  use, 
intent  or  purpose  whatsoever.  And  the  said  Governor  and  Company, 
for  themselves  and  their  successors,  have  given  and  granted,  and  by 
these  presents  do  give  and  grant,  unto  the  said  John  Marsh  and  John 
Buell,  and  the  rest  of  the  partners,  settlers  of  the  tract  of  land  herein 
before  granted,  their  heirs  and  assigns;  the  said  tract  of  land  so  butted 
and  bounded  as  aforesaid,  shall  from  time  to  time  and  at  all  times  for- 
ever hereafter,  be  deemed,  reputed,  denominated,  and  be  an  entire  town 
of  itself,  and  shall  be  called  and  known  by  the  name  of  Litchfield, 


52  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

in  the  county  of  Hartford,  and  that  the  aforesaid  partners,  settlers  and 
inhabitants  thereof,  shall  and  lawfully  may  from  time  to  time  and  at 
all  times,  forever  hereafter  have,  use,  exercise  and  enjoy  all  such  rights, 
powers,  privileges,  immunities  and  franchises,  in  and  among  them- 
selves, as  are  given,  granted,  allowed,  used,  exercised  and  enjoyed,  to, 
by,  and  amongst  the  proper  inhabitants  of  other  towns  in  this  Colony, 
according  to  common  approved  custom  and  observance  ;  and  that  the 
said  tract  of  land  and  premises  hereby  granted  as  aforesaid,  and  ap- 
purtenances, shall  remain,  continue  and  be  unto  the  said  John  Marsh 
and  John  Buell,  and  the  rest  of  the  partners,  settlers,  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  in  proportion  aforesaid  forever,  a  good,  peaceable,  pure,  per- 
fect, absolute  and  indefeasible  estate  of  inheritance  in  fee  simple,  to 
be  holden  of  His  Majesty,  his  heirs  and  successors,  as  of  His  Majesty's 
Manor  of  East  Greenwich  in  the  County  of  Kent,  in  the  Kingdom  of 
England,  in  free  and  common  soccage,  and  not  in  capite,  nor  by 
Knight's  service — Yielding  therefor,  and  paying  unto  our  Sovereign 
Lord,  King  George,  his  heirs  and  successors  forever,  one  fifth  part  of 
all  ore  of  gold  and  silver  which,  from  time  to  time  and  at  all  times 
forever  hereafter,  shall  be  there  gotten,  had  or  obtained,  in  lieu  of  all 
services,  duties  and  demands  whatsoever. 

In  witness  whereof,  The  said  Governor  and  Company  have 
caused  the  Seal  of  the  said  Colony  to  be  hereunto  affixed. 

Dated  at  Hartford,  May  the  19M  day,  Anno  regni  regis  Decimo 
Georgii  Mag'ce  Britt'ce,  Fran'ce,  HyberrCcc,  Annoque  Domini, 
One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Twenty-Four,  1724. 

G.  SALTONSTALL,  Governor. 

By  order  of  the  Governor  and  ) 
Company  in  General  Court  >- 
assembled.  y 

Hez.  Wyllis,  Secretary."  [seal.] 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MISCELLANEOUS   EVENTS. 

The  preceding  Memorials  and  Resolves  so  vividly  portray 
the  hardships  and  dangers  here  experienced  by  our  ancestors, 
in  their  efforts  to  subdue  the  wilderness  and  render  it  a  fitting 
abode  for  civilized  men,  that  any  extended  comments  would  be 
quite  superfluous.  Indeed,  little  can  be  known  of  their  histo- 
ry during  the  period  of  which  we  have  written,  except  what  is 
gleaned  from  these  plaintive  yet  manly  expositions  of  their  cir- 
cumstances and  feelings.  It  is  difficult  for  us — surrounded 
as  we  are  with  the  blessings  of  Peace  nd  Plenty — to  realize 
that  our  predecessors  amid  these  very  scenes,  were  thus  exposed 
to  the  combined  evils  of  war  and  famine — bringing  their  food 
through  the  woods  a  distance  of  twenty  miles ;  tilling  their 
fields  only  when  protected  by  an  armed  guard;  men,  women 
and  children,  from  time  to  time  flying  in  alarm  to  the  garrisons 
for  safety ;  and  the  whole  adult  male  population  of  the  town 
compelled,  in  turn,  to  keep  public  watch  and  ward  through  a 
succession  of  years  ;  at  the  same  time,  clearing  off  the  forests, 
hunting  wild  beasts,  and  fighting  the  common  enemy  !  Is  it 
not  a  matter  of  surprise  as  well  as  of  gratitude,  that  during  the 
entire  continuance  of  the  war  on  our  frontiers,  but  one  inhab- 
itant of  Litchfield  fell  a  victim  to  savage  violence  ? 

The  reader  will  have  noted  the  interesting  fact,  that  Roger 
Wolcott  (afterwards  Governor)  was,  even  at  this  early  period, 
actively  engaged  in  devising  measures  for  the  protection  and 
defense  of  this  town — little  imagining,  probably,  that  here  his 
descendants  were  destined  to  find  homes  so  cherished,  and  to 
act  so  distinguished  a  part,  during  the  succeeding  century. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  we  have  seen  that  the  territory  now 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  this  township,  was  covered  by 


o4  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

the  Charter  granted  by  Charles  II.  of  England,  in  1662,  to  the 
Governor  and  Company  of  the  Colony  of  Connecticut ;  that  in 
1687,  the  colonial  government  conveyed  it  to  the  towns  of 
Hartford  and  Windsor  ;  that  in  1716,  committees  appointed  by 
these  towns,  purchased  of  the  Indians  all  their  right  and  inter- 
est therein ;  that  in  1719,  committees  of  these  towns  sold  and 
conveyed  these  lands  to  John  Marsh,  John  Buel,  and  their 
associates,  in  fee,  for  what  was  considered  a  fair  equivolent. 
These  latter  gentlemen  became  the  first  individual  owners  of 
the  specific  tracts  which  were  from  time  to  time  surveyed  and 
laid  out  to  them. 

It  would  seem  that  for  some  years  after  the  settlement  of  the 
township,  Hartford  and  Windsor  continued  to  exercise  a  kind 
of  guardianship  over  the  affairs  of  Litchfield.  Thus,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1722-'3,  Messrs.  Hosford  and  Buel  were  appointed  to 
treat  with  the  committees  of  these  towns  concerning  the  non- 
resident proprietors  of  Litchfield.  At  a  town  meeting  held 
on  the  1st  of  April,  1724,  it  was  "  voted  that  the  committees 
of  Hartford  and  Windsor  choose  inhabitants ;"  and  in  case 
these  committees  should  select  for  residents  any  whom  the 
authorities  of  this  town  should  regard  as  "  not  wholesome," 
it  was  provided  that  the  character  of  the  new-comers  should  be 
judged  by  indifferent  men,  and  if  by  them  declared  to  be  good 
inhabitants,  then  the  cost  was  to  be  paid  by  Litchfield — other- 
wise, the  cost  was  to  be  paid  by  the  committees  referred  to. 

Even  during  the  prevalence  of  the  Indian  wars,  though 
much  of  their  time  was  necessarily  engrossed  in  providing  for 
the  means  of  subsistence  and  defense,  our  fathers  were  not 
unmindful  of  the  ordinary  duties  pertaining  to  them  as  public- 
spirited  citizens.  Divers  matters  of  a  miscellaneous  character 
came  up  for  consideration  in  their  town  meetings,  some  of 
which  will  be  noted  in  this  chapter. 

The  lowlands,  south-west  of  the  village — bordering  upon 
Bantam  River,  the  Little  Pond,  and  Bantam  Lake — are  known 
on  our  early  records  as  "  Bantam  Swamp,  or  the  Flooded 
Lands."  They  cover  about  six  hundred  acres  ;  and,  having 
been  nearly  free  from  timber  and  brush  at  the  time  of  the  first 
settlement,  they  were  regarded  as  very  valuable  on  account  of 


BANTAM    SWAMP.  55 

the  grass.     In  the  original  allotment  of  lands  to  the  first  pro 
prietors,  each  Right  entitled  the  owner  to  four  acres  of  meadow 
in  this  swamp.     After  all  had  thus  received  equal  shares,  a 
subsequent  division  of  the  halance  was  made. 

As  early  as  April  5,  1725,  Lieut.  John  Buel  and  Nathaniel 
Hosford  were  "  appointed  to  state  the  bounds  of  the  Flooded 
Lands,  in  order  to  laying  out  the  same  ;  and  if  said  Hosford 
and  Buel  cannot  agree,  then  Joseph  Kilbourn  to  be  the  third 
man  to  help  in  said  work."  At  the  same  meeting,  it  was  voted 
"  that  the  clerk  record  no  land  laid  out  upon  the  Little  Plain, 
until  the  difference  concerning  the  same  be  issued."  In  order 
to  understand  the  purport  of  the  last  record,  it  should  be  stated 
that  a  controversy  had  sprung  up  between  Joseph  Bird  and 
Nathaniel  Hosford,  on  one  side,  and  the  remaining  proprietors 
on  the  other  side — as  to  whether  the  "  Little  Plain"  was  a  part 
of  Bantam  Swamp  and  ought  to  be  laid  out  as  such.  The  dis- 
pute waxed  warm  ;  and  it  was  at  last  determined  to  appoint 
two  arbitrators  from  out  of  town,  who  should  have  power  to 
select  a  third.  The  gentlemen  agreed  upon  by  the  contending 
parties,  were,  Capt.  Joseph  Hawley  and  Mr.  Samuel  Root,  both 
of  Farmington,  who  made  choice  of  Ensign  Nathaniel  Wads- 
worth,  also  of  Farmington,  to  assist  them  in  the  arbitration. 
They  made  the  following  Report — 

"  "We,  the  subscribers,  having  heard  the  pleas  of  both  parties,  and 
considered  them  with  the  reeords,  concerning  the  land  in  controversy, 
are  of  opinion  and  do  give  it  as  our  judgment,  that  the  land  called 
the  Little  Plain  is  no  part  of  Bantam  Swamp,  nor  ought  to  be  laid  out 
in  lieu  thereof;  and  that  it  is  free  to  be  laid  out  to  make  up  the  addi- 
tion to  the  ten  acre  lots. 

The  charge  of  the  arbitration  is  seventeen  shillings  ;  and  we  order 
that  Lieut.  Buel  and  John  Bird  pay  the  said  charge — to  Capt.  Haw- 
ley seven  shillings,  to  Ensisrn  Wadsworth  four  shillings,  and  to  Samuel 
Root  six  shillings.  JOSEPH  HAWLEY, 

NATH'L  WADSWORTH. 

Farmington,  Feb.  25,  1725-'6.        SAMUEL  ROOT." 

At  a  town  meeting  held,  Dec.  21,  1725,  (Mr.  John  Buel, 
Moderator,)  Messrs.  Jacob  Griswold,  Benjamin  Webster  and 
John  Marsh,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  survey  Bantam 
Swamp.  In  November,  1726,  a  tax  of  ten  shillings  on  each 
Right  was  laid,  to  be  expended  by  a  committee  in  "  lowering 


56  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

the  natural  ponds  for  the  draining  of  the  swamp;"  and  Messrs. 
John  Buel,  James  Church  and  Joseph  Bird,  were  appointed 
said  committee.  The  object  intended,  however,  appears  not  to 
have  been  accomplished ;  for  in  March,  1731,  and  again  in 
January,  17c  2,  it  was  voted  to  make  application  to  the  Governor 
and  Council  for  the  same  purpose.  On  the  30th  of  April,  1733, 
a  vote  was  passed  "  to  offer  unto  the  Governor  and  Council 
Capt.  Joseph  Minor  and  Capt.  William  Preston,  of  Woodbury 
and  Dea.  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  of  Litchfield,  as  a  committee  for 
the  proprietors  of  Bantam  Swamp,  in  order  to  commissionate 
them  to  drain  said  Swamp,"  &c.  Many  years  afterwards,  by 
blasting  away  the  rocks  and  erecting  a  dam  on  the  outlet  of 
Bantam  Lake,  the  swamp  was  partially  drained  ;  but  even  now, 
during  freshets  or  long  rains,  they  are  frecpuently  overflowed. 

As  was  the  case  with  the  settlers  of  the  New  England  towns 
generally,  the  founders  of  Litchfield  regarded  the  subject  of 
education  as  a  matter  of  primary  importance.  As  stated  else- 
where, one  sixtieth  part  of  the  township  (about  seven  hundred 
acres,)  was  originally  set  apart  for  the  support  of  schools.  In 
December,  1725,  eight  pounds  were  appropriated  from  the  town 
treasury  "  for  hiring  school-masters  and  school-dames"  to  in- 
struct the  children  in  reading  and  writing  for  the  year  next 
ensuing  ;  and  a  like  sum  was  ordered  to  be  raised  by  a  tax 
upon  the  parents  or  guardians  of  the  children,  to  be  gathered 
by  the  town  collector.  Messrs.  Marsh,  Buel,  Hosford  and 
Goodrich,  were  chosen  a  school  committee.  Two  years  later y 
ten  pounds  were  paid  out  of  the  public  treasury  for  the  same 
object,  with  the  proviso  that  four  pounds  of  this  sum  should  be 
given  for  the  support  of  a  writing  school,  and  the  balance  "  for 
teaching  of  children  by  school  dames" — from  which  we  are  to 
infer  that  the  female  teachers  did  not  give  instruction  in  wri- 
ting. The  first  reference  made  by  the  records  relative  to 
building  a  school  house,  is  contained  in  the  doings  of  a  town 
meeting  held  Dec.  23,1731 — (Mr.  Joseph  Kilbourn,  Moderator) 
— which  is  as  follows  :  "  Voted  to  build  a  school  house  in  ye 
center  of  ye  town,  on  ye  Meeting-House  Green  ;  and  Joseph 
Kilbourn,  Jr.,  Ebenezer  Marsh  and  John  Gay,  were  chosen  a 
committee  to  carry  on  said  work."     At  the  same  time  it  was 


SCHOOL    LANDS.  o7 

voted  to  build  the  school  house  twenty  feet  square.  The  school 
committee  were  authorized  to  hire  a  school-master  and  set  up  a 
school  during  the  succeeding  fall  and  winter. 

Messrs.  Jacob  Griswold  and  Benjamin  Gibbs  were  appointed 
in  December,  1727,  to  run  the  lines  and  set  up  monuments 
'•  between  the  School  Lots  and  Pine  Island." 

The  question  as  to  how  the  School  Lands  should  be  disposed 
of  to  the  best  advantage,  appears  to  have  been  very  difficult  to 
settle.  On  the  12th  of  March,  1729,  it  was  voted  to  sell  them 
for  one  thousand  pounds ;  and  Messrs.  Marsh  and  Bird  were 
designated  to  manage  the  sale.  Some  one,  doubtless,  called  in 
question  the  right  of  the  town  to  make  such  a  sale  ;  as,  a  week 
.  the  inhabitants,  in  general  town  meeting  convened,  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Marsh  their  Agent  to  apply 'to  the  General  Assem- 
bly "  for  liberty  to  make  sale  of  the  school  lands  in  itehfield." 
The  application  was  unsuccessful ;  but  the  people  soon  found 
a  way  to  evade  the  letter  of  the  law.  On  the  20th  of  Xovem- 
L729,  it  was  "voted  that  the  School  Right  in  Litchfield 
should  bo  leased  out  for  the  maintenance  of  a  school  in  said 
Litchfield  for  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years  ensuing."' 
s.  Marsh,  Buel,  Hosford  and  Bird,  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  lease  the  lands  accordingly.  As  if  apprehensive  that 
even  this  lease  might  ultimately  expire  and  thus  give  their 
descendants  unnecessary  trouble,  with  a  far-reaching  glance 
into  futurity,  they  proceeded  to  bind  their  successors  "  in  ye 
recognisance  of  ten  thousand  pounds  lawful  money,  to  give  a 
new  lease  of  said  Right  at  the  end  of  said  term  of  nine  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine  years,  if  there  shall  be  occasion'''' ! 

In  pursuance  of  these  votes,  the  committee  appointed  for 
that  purpose,  on  the  loth  of  April,  1730,  leased  to  sundry  in- 
dividuals the  School  Right  for  the  time  designated;  the  grantee 
paying  twenty-seven  pounds  annually  for  eight  years,  for  the 
support  of  the  School ;  and  the  ninth  year,  paying  to  the 
selectmen  four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  to  be  forever  kept  for 
the  support  of  a  School  in  Litchfield.  To  the  lease  was  an- 
nexed the  following 

•■  Postscript. — Before  signing  and  sealing,  the  above-men- 
tioned signers  and  sealers  agreed,  that  whoever  occupies  and 

8 


58  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

improves  all  the  above  land  or  lands,  or  any  part  of  them,  shall 
pay  all  rates  or  taxes  that  shall  arise  upon  them  or  any  part  of 
them,  during  the  whole  term  of  the  lease." 

In  the  year  1767,  it  was  "  voted  to  divide  the  money  for 
which  the  School  Right  was  sold,  between  the  old  Society,  the 
South  Farms  Society,  and  the  Church  of  England,  in  proportion 
to  the  list  of  each  part." 

The  subject  of  "seating  the  meeting-house,"  often  came  up 
for  action  in  town  meeting,  and  produced  not  a  little  commo- 
tion. In  some  of  the  old  towns  whence  the  Litchfield  settlers 
came,  the  following  order  was  observed  in  this  matter,  viz. : 
1.  Long  public  service.  2.  Dignity  of  descent.  8.  Rank  in 
the  Grand  List.  4.  Age.  5.  Piety,  &c.  This  order  was  in 
good  degree  discarded  by  our  early  Litchfield  ancestors.  Va- 
rious methods  were  tried  by  them,  but  generally  without  any 
very  satisfactory  result.  In  December,  1735,  the  town  appoint- 
ed as  a  committee  for  this  work,  the  following  persons,  viz., 
Sergt.  Culver,  Joseph  Kilbourn,  Jr.,  Ebenezer  Marsh,  John 
Gay  and  Supply  Strong.  At  the  same  time  this  committee 
were  thus  instructed  to  act,  to  wit :  "  Every  man's  list  for  four 
years  past  shall  be  added  together,  and  every  man's  age  be 
reckoned  at  twenty  shillings  per  year,  to  be  added  to  his  list ; 
and  for  them  that  have  not  four  lists,  they  shall  be  seated  by 
the  last  list,  or  according  to  the  discretion  of  the  committee." 

The  committee  proceeded  according  to  these  instructions, 
but  the  result  did  not  suit.  Their  doings  were  ordered  to  be 
set  aside;  a  new  committee  was  appointed,  with  no  other  in- 
structions than  to  act  in  accordance  with  their  best  judgment 
in  the  premises.  Their  action,  for  a  wonder,  was  silently  ac- 
quiesced in  on  this  occasion. 

In  December,  1726,  it  was  ordered  that  the  people  should  be 
notified  of  the  occurrence  of  each  Town  Meeting,  "  by  a  note 
set  up  on  the  sign-post  and  on  the  grist-mill  door,  seven  days 
before  the  meeting  ;  and  said  note  shall  specify  the  time  and 
place  and  affairs  of  the  meeting ;  and  the  Grand  Meeting-  shall 
be  on  the  2d  Tuesday  in  December  annually."  At  a  later 
date,  notices  of  town  meetings  were  directed  to  be  "  posted  on 
all  the  grist  mill  doors,  and  on  the  school-house  door  in  South 
Farms." 


MISCELLANEOUS   ITKMS.  58 

Iii  May,  1728,  it  was  voted  to  petition  the  General  Assembly 
for  a  tax;  upon  all  the  undivided  land  in  the  town  not  already 
put  in  the  list,  of  five  shillings  per  hundred  acres,  each  year  for 
the  sp  tee  of  four  years.  The  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was  read- 
ily granted,  and  in  the  following  December*  Messrs*  Marsh  and 
Hurl  were  appointed  to  lay  the  tax  "according  to  the  grant 
made  by  the  Assembly." 

Our  boundary  lines  have  not  unfrequently  called  for  the 
action  of  the  town.  Naugatuck  river  on  the  east,  and  the 
Shepaug  (in  part)  on  the  west,  are  "  natural  boundaries " 
which  could  not  easily  be  mistaken.  The  north  and  south 
bounds,  however,  were  for  along  time  not  very  clearly  defined. 
In  the  words  of  the  Patent,  the  town  was  bounded  "north  by 
the  wilderness"  and  south  by  Woodbury  and  Watcrbury,  with 
no  other  risible  bounds  than  marked  trees  and  heaps  of  stones. 
In  the  Patent  previously  granted  to  Woodbury,  that  town  is 
ribed  as  being  "  bounded  north  by  the  commons."  It  is 
lair  io  presume,  that  when  the  trees  and  stone-heaps  disap- 
'l,  some  doubts  might  arise  as  to  the  precise  locality  of 
the  lines  described. 

It  appears  by  the  public  records  that  as  early  as  1727,  the 
accounts  of  Messrs.  Joseph  Bird,  .fames  Kilbourn  and  John 
Bird  were  adjusted  "  for  meeting  the  Woodbury  men,  in  order 
to  perambulate."  A  year  later,  Messrs.  Nathaniel  Hosford 
and  John  Bird  were  chosen  agents  "  to  act  in  the  controversy 
between  Litchfield  and  Woodbury."  In  1731,  the  gentlemen 
tasl  named  were  re-appointed  on  a  committee  for  a  like  pur- 
pose— or,  as  the  record  has  it,  "  to  enquire  and  make  search 
whal  light  can  be  had  concerning  our  line  against  Woodbury." 
Subsequently,  during  the  same  year,  it  was  voted  in  town 
meeting  to  "  take  some  method  to  settle  our  south-west  bounds 
according  to  our  Grand  Deed  and  Grant."  At  the  same  meet- 
iii'j,  Messrs.  Hosford  and  Bird  were  chosen  "to  carry  on  said 
affair,  and  trying  to  agree,  and  to  agree,  with  Woodbury  ;  and 
if  they  don't  agree  with  them,  to  go  to  the  General  Court  next, 
and  endeavor  to  get  a  Patent  according  to  our  Deed  and 
Grant."  A  tax  of  three  shillings  was  laid  on  each  undivided 
Right,  to  defray  the  expenses.     Some  eleven  years  after,  (in 


60  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

May,  1742,)  the  records  inform  us  that  this  tax  of  three  shill- 
ings on  a  Right  had  proved  insufficient  for  the  purpose  intended? 
and  a  further  tax  of  one  shilling  and  six-pence  on  each  Bight 
then  undivided,  was  laid  for  the  furtherance  of  the  same  object. 
How  the  controversy  with  Woodbury  was  finally  settled,  does 
not  appear.  The  only  alteration  of  any  consequence,  ever  made 
in  our  limits  as  originally  defined,  was  in  this  south-west  cor- 
ner of  the  town.  Litchfield,  at  this  point,  formerly  ran  down 
some  distance  below  the  junction  of  the  Bantam  with  the  She- 
paug,  embracing  the  beautiful  valley  south  of  Mount  Tom,  then 
and  still  known  as  "  Davies'  Hollow."  Upon  the  incorpora. 
tion  of  the  town  of  Washington,  in  1779,  (which  had  previously 
been  a  part  of  Ancient  Woodbury,)  the  Litchfield  line  was  so 
altered  as  to  run  across  the  top  of  Mount  Tom,  thus  ceding 
Davies'  Hollow,  and  the  lands  adjacent,  to  Washington. 
Litchfield,  in  town  meeting  assembled,  at  first  resolved  to  op- 
pose this  summary  method  of  robbing  her  of  a  portion  of  her 
original  domain,  and  appointed  the  Hon.  Andrew  Adams  an 
Agent  to  appear  before  the  Genera'  Assembly  in  her  behalf. 
It  was  subsequently  voted  not  to  oppose  the  project ;  and,  in 
stead,  Colonel  Adams  was  appointed  to  present  a  Petition  to 
the  Legislature  that  the  town  of  Washington  be  cited  to  "  reg- 
ulate the  line  of  the  town."  The  line  was  soon  after  amicably 
agreed  upon,  and  has  not  since  been  a  subject  of  contention. 

In  December,  1753,  Capt.  Stoddard  and  Supply  Strong  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  "  measure  from  the  crotch  of  the 
Shepaug  river  to  the  north-west  corner  of  the  town,  with  Mr. 
Roger  Sherman,  County  Surveyor." 

There  seems  also  to  have  been  some  uncertainty  and  dispute 
respecting  our  northern  boundary,  though  the  matter  never 
assumed  a  serious  aspect.  At  a  town  meeting  in  February, 
1745-'6,  M<  Buel,  Joseph  Bird  and  Supply  Strong, 

were  appoi  ommittee  "  to  settle  the  line  between  Litch- 

field and  Goshen  and  Torrington."  In  May,  1754,  Messrs. 
Ebenezer  Marsh  and  Benjamin  Webster  "were  appointed 
Agents  to  represent  the  town  pect  to  the  north  line, 

before  the  General  Assembl  rtford;"  and  in  February, 

1755,  Captain  Moses  ;  ixldard  and  Messrs.  Supply  Strong  and 


WILD    BEASTS.  Gl 

Jonathan  Kilbourn,  were  appointed  "  to  go  with  the  Surveyor 
of  the  County  to  the  North  Line  of  Litchfield." 

The  colonial  files  contain  a  statement  in  the  hand-writing  of 
the  famous  Roger  Sherman,  and  bearing  his  signature,  giving 
a  minute  account  of  the  running  of  the  north  line  of  Litchfield? 
by  him,  as  County  Surveyor,  in  1754  ;  also  several  affidavits 
on  the  same  subject  from  Edward  Phelps,  Moses  Stoddard, 
Jonathan  Kilbourn,  Supply  Strong,  Ebenezer  Buel,  Thomas 
Catlin,  John  Bird,  and  others.  As  the  bounds,  however,  were 
subsequently  fully  established  in  accordance  with  the  claims 
of  this  town,  and  have  not  been  a  matter  of  controversy  for  the 
last  eighty  years,  the  publication  of  the  evidence  adduced  can 
answer  no  good  purpose. 

The  boundaries  of  South  Farms  were  established  and  defined 
in  lltJT  :  those  of  Northfield  in  1794  ;  and  those  of  Milton  in 
179.3 — at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  these  parishes. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  one  not  generally  known,  that 
the  town  of  Goshen  was  organized  at  the  house  of  Dea.  John 
Bur]  in  West-street,  in  this  village,  which  stood  on  the  site  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Thomas  Leverett  Saltonstall.  On 
tin1  27th  of  September,  1738,  the  proprietors  of  Goshen  (ori. 
ginally  called  New  Bantam,')  met  at  the  place  designated, 
and  elected  Dea.  Buel  Moderator,  and  Capt.  Joseph  Bird, 
Clerk.  They  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place  at  8 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  when  the  organization  of  the  town 
was  completed.  Dating  from  this  day,  the  centennial  anniver- 
sary of  Goshen  was  celebrated  on  the  28th  of  September,  1838 
— on  which  occasion  an  interesting  historical  discourse  was  de- 
livered by  the  Rev.  Grant  Powers.  Several  of  the  original 
proprietors  of  Goshen  were  residents  of  Litchfield. 

Mr.  Morris  remarks — "  Many  years  after  the  settlement  of 
this  town,  deer,  bears,  and  wild-turkeys,  were  numerous. 
Deer  and  bears  were  taken  by  hunters  between  the  years  1760 
and  1770,  and  turkeys  at  a  later  period.  Wild-cats  occasion- 
ally visit  us,  and  destroy  sheep  and  lambs.  A  small  tract  near 
the  north-east  part  of  the  town,  is  rough  and  ledgy,  and  affords 
them  a  refuge  from  hunters  and  their  dogs.  Considerable 
mischief  was  done  a  in  the  winter  of  1811-'12." 


62  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

Mr.  Gibbs,  the  historian  of  the  Administrations  of  Washing- 
ton and  Adams,  (vol.  i.  p.  9,)  writing  of  the  boyhood  of  the 
younger  Wolcott,  (1765-78,)  draws  the  following  picture  of 
this  town  as  it  was  seventy  and  eighty  years  ago  : — "  At  a  pe- 
riod much  later  than  this,  Litchfield  was  on  the  outskirts  of 
New  England  civilization,  and  presented  a  very  different  aspect 
from  its  now  venerable  quiet.  The  pickets  which  guarded  its 
first  dwellings  were  not  yet  decayed.  The  Indian  yet  wandered 
through  its  broad  streets,  and  hunters  as  wild  as  our  present 
borderers,  chased  the  deer  and  the  panther  on  the  shores  of  the 
lake.  The  manners  of  its  inhabitants  were  as  simple  and  prim- 
itive as  those  of  their  fathers  a  century  back,  in  the  older  set- 
tlements on  the  Connecticut.  Traveling  was  entirely  on 
horseback,  except  in  winter,  and  but  a  casual  intercourse  was 
carried  on  with  the  distant  towns.  Occasionally,  and  more 
frequently  as  they  became  more  interesting,  tidings  reached 
them  from  Boston,  and  even  from  the  old  world." 

There  are  persons  yet  living,  who  remember  when  bears  and 
wolves  were  hunted  in  "  Blue  Swamp,"  and  deer  and  wild- 
turkeys  were  frequently  seen  within  two  miles  of  the  Court 
House  ;*  when  Indians,  in  companies  of  twenty  or  thirty,  were 
accustomed  to  make  their  annual  visits  to  this  town,  encamp- 
ing on  Pine  Island  or  along  the  lake-shore — the  men  employ- 
ing themselves  in  hunting  and  fishing,  while  the  squaws  made 
and  peddled  baskets  and  brooms.  Foxes,  minks,  muskrats, 
rabbits,  woodchucks  and  raccoons,  are  now  frequently  trapped 
within  the  limits  of  this  township.  Snipes,  quails,  partridges 
and  wild-ducks,  frequent  our  woods  or  lakes  ;  while  our  waters 
abound  in  trout,  suckers,  eels,  perch,  roach,  and  pike  or  pick- 
erel. The  pickerel,  however,  is  not  a  native.  In  April,  1779, 
the  town  voted,  "  on  request  of  Capt.  John  Marsh,  that  he 
might  have  the  exclusive  Pickerel  Fishing  in  the  Loon  [or 
Cranberry]  Pond,  for  the  space  of  twenty  years,  provided  he 
shall  at  his  own  expense  procure  Pickerel  to  breed  and  propa- 

*Capt.  Salmon  Buel,  (now  in  his  92d  year,)  has  seen  wild  deer  in  the  swamp  between 
his  present  residence  and  the  village.  Mr.  Amos  Benton  informs  we  that  in  1774, 
(he  then  being  a  small  child,)  a  bear  passed  but  a  few  rods  from  him,  while  he  was 
playing  by  the  brook  near  his  present  residence.  Thealarm  was  given,  and  his  father 
and  tome  of  the  neighbors  started  in  pursuit — but  did  not  succeed  in  killing  him. 


THE    BANTAM    INDIANS.  63 

gate  therein,  in  a  reasonable  time."  It  seems,  however,  that 
no  advantage  was  taken  of  this  privilege ;  but  in  the  winter  of 
1809,  twenty-eight  pickerel  were  brought  from  a  pond  in  South- 
wick,  Massachusetts,  and  put  into  Cranberry  Pond.  Their 
progeny  has  greatly  increased,  so  that  they  are  caught  In  abun- 
dance in  the  several  lakes  of  the  township.  In  Bantam  Lake 
they  often  grow  to  a  large  size — sometimes  weighing  five  and 
a  half  and  even  six  pounds.  They  are  familiarly  termed  by 
our  fishermen,  "  Bantam  Shad,"  and  find  a  ready  market  in 
the  village,  as  well  as  afford  congenial  sport  to  amateur  anglers 
from  city  and  country.  By-Laws  have  from  time  to  time  been 
passed  by  the  town  for  the  protection  of  our  "  fisheries,"  by 
prohibiting  the  drawing  of  seines  and  nets,  which  have  had  a 
good  effect. 

Of  the  Indians  who  inhabited  this  township  previous  to  its 
settlement  by  the  whites,  comparatively  little  can  now  be 
gleaned.  President  Stiles,  in  his  "  Itinerary,"  tells  us  the 
Bantam  Indians  were  on  terms  of  allegiance  with  the  Scata- 
cooks,  the  Pootatucks,  and  Weatogues.  Mr.  Cothren  suppo- 
they  were  but  a  clan  of  the  Pootatuck  or  Woodbury  tribe. 
This  seems  not  improbable,  as  the  aboriginal  names  signed  to 
the  purchase-deed  of  Litchfield,  (dated  at  "Woodbury,  March 
2d.  1715-T6,)  are  all  mentioned  in  the  list  of  sachems,  saga- 
mores and  principal  men  of  that  tribe.  Some  of  them  doubt- 
less belonged  in  Bantam,  and  were  familiar  with  the  bounds  of 
the  territory  disposed  of.  The  fact,  too,  that  a  "  reservation" 
was  required  for  the  hunting  houses  of  the  clan,  favors  such  a 
supposition.  Chusquenoag  and  Weroamaug  (or  Raumaug) 
whose  names  stand  first  on  the  deed — one  as  a  grantor  and 
the  other  as  a  witness — were  Sachems  of  the  Wyantenucks, 
who  were  the  nearest  neighbors  of  the  Bantams  on  the  west 
and,  (according  to  the  same  authority,)  constituted  another 
clan  of  the  Pootatucks. 

We  have  seen  how  much  trouble  was  occasioned  to  the  early 
settlers  by  the  savages.  It  is  by  no  means  certain,  however, 
that  the  murderers  of  Harris  or  the  capturers  of  Griswold  be 
longed  to  the  Bantam  clan.  The  Mohawks — a  fierce,  warlike, 
roving  tribe — were  a  terror  not  only  to  the  whites  but  to  all 


64  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

the  Indian  tribes  of  Western  Connecticut.     Even  in  times  of 
peace,  they  were  accustomed  to  make  their  annual  visits  to  the 
sea-side  for  purposes  of  fishing — subsisting,  on  their  excursions, 
by  plundering  their  weaker  brethren  along  the  route.     With 
the  fearful  cry — "  We  are  come,  we  are  come,  to  suck  your 
blood !"  they  rushed  on  from  one  hamlet  or  encampment  to 
another,  spreading  terror  before  them,  and  leaving  little  but 
desolation  behind  them.     When  they  made  their  appearance, 
the  Connecticut  Indians  would  raise  the  cry  from  hill  to  hill 
— "  The  Mohawks  !  the  Mohawks  !"  and  fly  to  some  place  of 
refuge,  without  attempting  any  defense.     Sometimes  they  were 
pursued  to  the  very  threshold  of  their  wigwams,   and  slain  in 
the  presence  of  their  families.     It  is  stated  that  in  these  and 
other  cases  of  sudden  alarm,  all  the  tribes  on  the  Housatonic, 
and  between  the  Housatonic  and  the  Naugatuck,  could  com- 
municate with  each  other,  from  the  Sound  two  hundred  miles 
northward,  in  a  few  hours,  by  cries  and  rude  telegraphic  signals 
from  a  chain  of  "  Guarding  Heights"   which  they  had  estab- 
lished.   One  of  these  "Heights"  was  Mount  Tom  in  Litchfield.* 
As  the  Bantam  fishing-grounds  were  nearly  in  a  direct  line 
from  the  Mohawk  country  to  the  Sound  at  Milford,  (which 
was  long  their  favorite  place  of  resort,)  they  would  naturally 
enough  pass  this  way.     On  the  borders  of  our  Great  Lake  they 
would  encounter  not  only  the  native  clans  of  the  vicinity,  but 
others  who  had  come  hither  to  fish  and  hunt.     If  there  were 
warriors  enough  on  the  ground  to  make  a  stand  against  the 
intruding  Mohawks,  a  fierce  and  bloody  conflict  would  ensue. 
That  such  battles  have  been  fought  on  the  now  quiet  rural 
shores  of  our  beautiful  lake,  and  for  a  mile  or  two  northward, 
is  clearly  indicated  by  the  stone  arrow-heads  which  are  scattered 
in  such  profusion  in  the  soil.     It  is  true,  they  are  found  in 
other  parts  of  the  township,  but  nowhere  in  such  abundance 
as  in  the  locality  described.     The  writer  remembers,  as  one 
of  the  pastimes  of  his  childhood,  following  in  the  furrow  be- 
hind the  plowman,  on  the  West  Plain,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  picking  up  these  interesting  memorials  of  a  by-gone  race — 
then,  of  course,  regarded  simply  as  playthings.     These  arrow- 

*Cotbren's  Hist,  of  Ancient  Woodbury,  p.  87. 


INDIAN    RELII  65 

heads  arc  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  and  arc  made;  of  different 
kinds  of  flint — black,  white,  red,  and  yellow  ;  showing  them  to 
have  been  manufactured  by  different  and  probably  distant 
tribes.     Divers  other  Indian  relics  have,  in  years  past,  been 
found  in  Litchfield,  but,  by  reason  of  the  want  of  some  conven- 
ient place  of  deposit,  they  have  generally  been  scattered  and 
lost.    Some  of  these,  according  to  the  accounts  we  have  received, 
were  of  curious  and  skillful  workmanship.     Since  the  organ- 
ization of  "  The  Litchfield  County  Historical  and  Antiquarian 
Society,"  in  1856,  quite  a  variety  of  stone  hatchets,  pestles, 
arrows,  pipes,  chisels  and  dishes,  have  found  their  way  into  its 
cabinet.     In  the  autumn  of  1834,  a  piece  of  "  aboriginal  sculp- 
ture" was  found  in  this  town,  which  is  thus  noticed  by  the 
Enquirer  of  October  2d,  of  that  year  : — k<  A  discovery  of  a  sin- 
gular  CARVED  STONE  image,  or  bust,  representing  the  head,  neck 
and  breast  of  a  human  figure,  was  made  a  few  days  since  on 
the  Bantam  River,  about  forty  or  fifty  rods  above  the  mill-dam, 
half  a  mile  cast  of  this  village.     Some  boys  happened  to  dis- 
cover near  the  banks,  the  head  of  the  figure  projecting  above 
the  ground,  which  so  excited  their  curiosity  that  they  imme- 
diately dug  it  out  and  conveyed  it  to  the  mill,  where  it  is  for 
the  present  deposited.     The  image,  which  is  apparently  that 
of  a  female,  is  carved  from  a  rough  block  of  the  common  gran- 
ite, some  part  of  which  is  considerably  decayed  and  crumbly, 
yet  must  have  required  more  patient  and  persevering  labor 
than  generally  belongs  to  the  character  of  the  natives ;  and 
though  in  point  of  skill  and  taste,  it  falls  something  short  of 
Grecian  perfection,  it  is  certainly  '  pretty  well  for  an  Indian.' 
For  what  purpose  it  was  intended — whether  as  an  idol  for 
worship,  or  the  attempt  of  some  fond  admirer  to  preserve  and 
immortalize   the    lovely    features  of  his  dusky  fair  one,  or 
whether  it  was  merely  a  contrivance  of  some  long-sighted  wag 
of  old  to  set  us  Yankees  a-guessing,  or  even  whether  it  is  one 
hundred  or  five  hundred  years  old — all  is  unrevealed  ;  though 
no  doubt  some  tale  is  hanging  thereby,  if  we  could  only  find  it 
out.     All  our  American  antiquities  have  this  interesting  pe- 
culiarity, that  we  know  nothing  of  their  history.     We  have  not 
even  the  twilight  of  fabulous  story  to  relieve  our  curiosity. 

9 


66  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

The  Past  is  hidden  in  deeper  obscurity  than  the  Future."  This 
curious  relic  is  now  preserved  in  the  cabinet  of  Yale  College. 

Presuming  our  historians  are  correct  in  the  opinion  that  the 
Pootatuck  Tribe  was  spread  over  the  present  townships  of 
Woodbury,  Bethlem,  Litchfield,  New  Milfordand  Washington, 
whatever  relates  to  them  can  hardly  prove  uninteresting  to 
my  readers. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  Pootatucks  sometimes  offered 
human  sacrifices  to  appease  or  propitiate  their  gods.  In  proof 
of  this,  President  Stiles  in  his  "Itinerary"  preserves  an  ac- 
count of  a  great  powowing,  which  took  place  at  a  village  of 
this  tribe,  about  the  year  1720.  Mr.  De  Forest  gives  the  sub- 
stance of  Dr.  Stiles'  account,  as  follows :  The  scene  was  wit- 
nessed by  a  Mrs.  Bennett,  then  a  little  girl ;  and  after  her 
death,  was  related  by  one  of  her  children  to  the  President. 
The  ceremonies  lasted  three  days,  and  were  attended  by  five 
or  six  hundred  Indians,  many  of  whom  came  from  distant 
towns,  as  Hartford  and  Farmington.  While  the  Indians,  exci- 
ted by  their  wild  rites  and  dark  superstitions,  were  standing  in 
a  dense  mass,  a  little  girl,  gaily  dressed  and  ornamented,  was 
led  in  among  them  by  two  squaws,  her  mother  and  aunt.  As 
she  entered  the  crowd,  the  Indians  set  up  their  "  high  pow- 
wows," howling,  yelling,  throwing  themselves  into  strange 
postures,  and  making  hideous  grimaces.  Many  white  people 
stood  around  gazing  at  the  scene ;  but  such  was  the  excited 
state  of  the  savages,  that,  although  they  feared  for  the  child's 
safety,  none  of  them  dared  to  interfere,  or  to  enter  the  crowd. 
After  a  while  the  two  squaws  emerged  alone  from  the  press, 
stripped  of  all  their  ornaments,  and  walked  away,  shedding 
tears  and  uttering  mournful  cries.  The  informant,  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  fate  of  one  so  near  her  own  age,  ran  up  to  the 
two  women,  and  asked  them  what  they  had  done  with  the  lit- 
tle girl.  They  would  not  tell  her,  and  only  replied  that  they 
should  never  see  that  little  girl  again.  The  other  Indians  also 
remained  silent  on  the  subject ;  but  Mrs.  Bennet  believed,  and 
she  said  that  all  the  English  then  present  believed,  that  the  In- 
dians had  sacrificed  her,  and  that  they  did  at  other  times  offer 
human  sacrifices. 


MR.  boardman's  long  prayer.  67 

The  Sachem  whose  residence  and  private  domains  were 
nearest  to  Litchfield,  and  with  whom  the  early  settlers  of  the 
town  were  most  intimate,  was  Weroamaug,  orRauniaug.  His 
reservation  in  the  parish  of  New  Preston  was  adjacent  to  the 
reservation  of  the  Bantam  Indians,  over  whom  his  jurisdic- 
tion extended.  lie  was  a  trjie  friend  of  the  whites,  and  in  his 
last  years  professed  to  have  become  a  convert  to  Christianity. 
The  Rev.  Daniel  Boardman,  who  was  ordained  as  the  minister 
at  New  Miiford,  in  171*!,  became  much  interested  in  him.  In 
a  letter  to  a  friend,  lie  calls  him  "  that  distinguished  sachem, 
whose  great  abilities  and  eminent  virtues,  joined  with  his  ex- 
tensive dominion,  rendered  him  the  most  potent  prince  of  that 
or  any  other  day  in  this  colony ;  and  his  name  ought  to  be 
remembered  by  the  faithful  historian,  as  much  as  that  of  any 
crowned  head  since  his  was  laid  in  the  dust."  During  Rau- 
maug's  last  illness,  Mr.  Boardman  constantly  attended  him- 
and  endeavored  to  confirm  bis  mind  in  the  vital  truths  of  the 
Christian  faith.  It  was  a  sad  place  for  the  dying  chieftain  ; 
for  a  majority  of  his  people,  and  even  bis  wife,  were  bitter  op- 
ponents of  the  white  man's  religion,  and  used  all  their  influ- 
ence against  it.  One  day  when  the  good  pastor  was  standing 
by  the  sachem's  bedside,  the  latter  asked  him  to  pray,  to  which 
sented.  It  happened  that  there  was  a  sick  child  in  the 
village,  and  a  powow  was  in  attendance,  who  had  undertaken 
to  cure  it  with  bis  superstitious  rites.  As  soon  as  the  clergy- 
man commenced  bis  prayer,  Raumaug's  wife  sent  for  the 
medicine-man  and  ordered  him  to  commence  his  exercises  at 
the  door  of  the  lodge.  The  powow  at  once  set  up  a  hideous 
shouting  and  howling,  and  Mr.  Boardman  prayed  louder,  so 
that  the  sick  man  might  hear  him  above  the  uproar.  Each 
raised  bis  voice  louder  and  louder  as  he  went  on,  while  the  In- 
dians gathered  arouud,  solicitous  for  the  success  of  their  pro- 
phet. The  powow  was  determined  to  tire  out  the  minister — 
and  he,  on  the  other  band,  was  quite  as  fully  resolved  not  to 
be  pu1  to  silence  in  the  discharge  of  bis  duty  by  the  blind  wor- 
shiper of  Satan.  The  invincible  minister  afterward  gave  it  as 
bis  belief  that  be  prayed  full  three  hours,  before  he  was  per- 
mitted to  come  off  conqueror.     The  powow  having  completely 


68  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

exhausted  himself  with  his  efforts,  gave  one  unearthly  yell, 
and  then,  taking  to  his  heels,  never  stopped  till  he  was  cooling 
himself  up  to  his  neck  in  the  Housatonic.  Raumaug  died 
about  the  year  1735 — or,  some  fifteen  years  after  the  first  set- 
tlement of  Litchfield. 

In  consequence  of  the  frequent  alarms  on  account  of  the 
Indians,  the  settlement  of  the  town  was  greatly  retarded. 
Other  Memorials,  of  a  later  date  than  those  given  in  the  chap- 
ter preceding  this,  complain  of  the  difficulties  which  the  set- 
tlers still  encountered,  and  ask  for  legislative  interference  in 
their  behalf.  Indeed,  for  more  than  thirty  years  after  the 
Garrisons  were  erected,  they  were  resorted  to  with  more  or 
less  frequency,  by  individuals  and  families,  on  account  of  ap- 
prehended danger.  One  of  these  Garrisons  stood  near  the 
present  residence  of  Mr.  Holmes  0.  Morse,  on  Chestnut  Hill, 
and  was  remembered  by  Mr.  Elisha  Mason,  who  died  in  this 
village  no  longer  ago  than  May  1st,  1858.  Another  stood  one 
mile  west  of  the  Court  House,  on  the  north  side  of  West-street? 
opposite  the  homestead  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Kilbourn.  Some  of 
the  remains  of  the  last-mentioned  fort  were  recently  discovered. 

Good  penmanship  and  correct  orthography  were  not  univer- 
sal accomplishments,  even  among  Town  Clerks,  a  century  and 
a  quarter  since.  As  a  general  thing,  in  copying  from  records 
or  files,  I  have  not  attempted  to  follow  either  the  spelling  or 
the  punctuation  of  the  original  documents.  In  these  respects 
the  records  are  sometimes  as  quaint  and  peculiar  as  were  the 
language  and  manners  of  the  people  themselves  in  a  former 
age.  Here  is  a  specimen  or  two  :  "  Voted  that  ye  owners  of 
shoolers  sent  to  school  for  time  to  come  shal  find  fire  wood  for 
ye  schooll ;"  "  Voted  to  ajurn  this  meeting  to  to  morah  Sun 
half  an  hour  High  at  Night."  These  are  by  no  means  the 
worst  cases  to  be  found.  A  few  other  town  votes  are  here 
correctly  rendered,  as  curiosities  in  their  way :  Voted  to  ap- 
point Lieut.  Buel  and  Samuel  Orton  "  to  assist  the  Clerk  in 
perusing  the  town  votes  and  to  conclude  what  shall  be  trans- 
cribed into  the  town  book,  and  what  not :"  "  Voted  that  sheep 
shall  be  free  commoners ;"  "  Voted  that  a  Basin  for  Baptism 
be  procured,  and  that  the  money  be  drawn  out  of  the  Town 


DEATH   OF   JOHN    BUEL   AND   JOHN    MARSH. 

Treasury  to  pay  for  the  same  ;"  Voted  liberty  to  the  Rev. 
Timothy  Collins  "  to  erect  a  Blacksmith's  Shop  joining  to  his 
fence  the  backside  of  the  meeting-house ;"  Sergt.  John  Bird 
was  "  chosen  Quorister  to  tune  the  Psalm  in  the  public  wor- 
ship." .Many  other  transactions  of  the  town,  equally  primitive 
in  their  character,  might  be  given — but  these  are  sufficient  to 
indicate  the  great  change  that  a  cen-tury  has  wrought  in  the 
nature  of  much  of  the  business  done  at  our  town  meetings. 

It  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  frail  tenure  of  human  life, 
that,  in  every  new  settlement,  no  sooner  have  the  pioneers 
erected  their  huts  and  commenced  clearing  up  their  lands,  than 
it  becomes  necessary  to  provide  a  resting-place  for  the  dead. 
The  Burying  Ground  west  of  our  village  was  set  apart  for  that 
purpose  by  the  first  settlers  of  the  place,  and  for  many  years 
was  the  only  cemetery  within  the  limits  of  the  township.  In 
this  humble  and  now  almost  forsaken  enclosure,  rest  side  by 
side,  sometimes  in  undistinguished  graves,  legislators,  judges, 
mechanics,  farmers,  congressmen,  paupers,  merchants,  maidens 
— parents  and  children — the  lovely,  the  loving,  and  the  beloved 
— pastor  and  people — the  village  patriarch  and  the  infant  of 
yesterday  —  pioneers,  statesmen,  peasants,  officers,  soldiers, 
slaves — the  red  warrior  of  the  forest,  and  the  beautiful-browed 
daughter  of  his  Saxon  successor — lawyers,  and  juries,  and  cli- 
ents, and  criminals — awaiting  in  hope  or  fear  their  final  sum- 
mons and  destiny.  Sweet  be  their  slumbers,  and  glorious  their 
awakening  ! 

A  i  the  close  of  the  first  thirty  years  after  the  settlement  of 
the  town  commenced,  a  large  proportion  of  its  founders  had 
exchanged  a  life  of  labor  and  weariness  for  the  repose  of  the 
grave.  Generally,  they  reached  a  good  old  age,  and,  by  the 
i  dual  decay  of  nature,  passed  gently  and  almost  impercepti- 
bly down  the  valley  of  years.  Among  these,  were  the  two 
most  conspicuous  and  useful  men  among  the  original  propri- 
etors of  the  township — John  Marsh  and  John  Buel.  A  brief 
outline  of  the  history  of  these  men,  will  close  this  chapter. 

John  Marsh  had  long  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  Hart- 
ford before  he  interested  himself  in  the  Western  Lands  ;  and 
from  the  time  when  he  came  out  to  "view  the  new  plantation," 


70  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

in  May,  1715,  till  about  the  year  1738,  his  name  was  intimate- 
ly associated  with  the  history  of  Litchfield.  I  need  not  reca- 
pitulate the  many  ways  and  times  in  which  he  was  called  upon 
by  his  fellow-citizens  to  serve  them  in  public  employments,  as 
detailed  on  the  preceding  pages.  He  served  this  town  in  the 
various  offices  within  her  gift  during  the  entire  period  of  his 
residence  here.  While  an  inhabitant  of  Hartford,  his  na- 
tive town,  he  was  often  a  Representative  in  the  Legislature,  a 
Jnstice.of  the  Peace,  an  Associate  Judge  of  the  Comity  Court, 
and  a  member  of  the  Council  of  War.  He  returned  to  Hart- 
ford in  his  old  age,  and  died  there.  His  remains  lie  interred 
in  the  old  Burying  Ground  back  of  the  Center  Church.  His 
children  remained  in  this  town,  and  his  descendants  here  and 
elsewhere  are  very  numerous. 

John  Buel  was  about  fifty  years  of  age  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  this  town,  and  had  previously  filled  tbe  office  of 
Deacon  of  the  Church  in  Lebanon.  That  portion  of  our  histo- 
ry which  has  already  been  given,  affords  a  sufficient  guarantee 
of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens. 
He  was  repeatedly  elected  to  almost  every  office  within  their 
gift,  besides  being  appointed  on  nearly  all  the  most  important 
committees.  As  a  Deacon  in  the  Church,  Captain  of  the 
Militia,  Selectman,  Treasurer,  Representative  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  he  discharged  his  duties  efficiently  and  faithfully.  A 
brief  anecdote  (as  given  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Powers,  in  his  Cen- 
tennial Address  at  Goshen,)  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  bevo- 
lence  of  his  character  :  In  the  winter  of  1740-'41,  a  man  came 
from  Cornwall  to  purchase  some  grain  for  himself  and  family, 
who  were  in  great  need,  and  was  directed  to  Deacon  Buel. 
The  stranger  soon  called,  and  made  known  his  errand.  The 
Deacon  asked  him  if  he  had  the  money  to  pay  for  the  grain. 
He  answered  affirmatively.  "  Well,"  said  the  Deacon,  "I  can 
show  you  where  you  can  procure  it."  Going  with  the  strag- 
ger  to  the  door,  he  pointed  out  a  certain  house  to  him,  saying, 
"  There  lives  a  man  who  will  let  you  have  grain  for  your 
money.  I  have  some  to  spare,  but  I  must  keep  it  for  those 
who  have  no  money."  Deacon  Buel  departed  this  life,  April 
6th,  1746,  aged  75  years.     His  wife  survived  him  twenty-two 


CHARACTER   OF   OUR    PEOPLE.  71 

years.  Both  were  interred  in  the  West  Burying  Ground. 
The  inscription  on  the  tomb-stone  of  the  latter  is  as  follows: 
"Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  Mary,  wife  of  Dea.  John  Buel, 
Esq.  She  died  November  4,  1768,  aged  90 — having  had  13 
Children,  101  Grand-Children,  247  Great-Grand-Children,  and 
49  Great-Great-Grand-Children  ;  total  410.  Three  hundred 
and  thirty-six  survived  her."  The  name  of  Buel  has  always 
been  prominent  in  our  local  history. 

Litchfield  was  peculiarly  fortunate  in  the  character  of  its 
early  settlers.  The  proprietors  seemed  to  know,  instinctively, 
that  the  location  of  their  settlement — so  remote  from  all  the 
elder  towns  of  the  colony,  and  apparently  beyond  the  influen- 
ces of  civilization  and  religion — would  naturally  invite  to  its 
seclusion  and  consequent  freedom  from  restraint,  the  vicious, 
the  abandoned,  and  the  fugitive  from  justice.  Consequently, 
the  utmost  care  was  taken  that  none  but  persons  of  good  char- 
acter should  settle  among  them.  Mr.  Woodruff  says — "  If  a 
stranger  made  a  purchase  in  the  plantation,  a  proviso  was 
sometimes  inserted  in  the  deed,  that  the  Inhabitants  should 
accept  of  the  purchaser,  and  that  he  should  '  run  the  risk  of 
trouble  from  the  Grand  Committee.'  "  We  have  seen  on  an- 
other page  the  vote  of  the  town  on  this  subject.  It  is  with 
pleasure,  that  a  Son  of  Litchfield  is  able  to  say  that  the  peo- 
ple of  the  town  have  ever  borne  and  still  bear  the  reputation 
of  being  distinguished  for  intelligence  and  virtue. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EVENTS  PRECEDING  THE  REVOLUTION. 

The  first  French  War  began  in  1744,  and  closed  with  the 
signing  of  the  Treaty  of  Aix  la  Chapelle,  October  4,  1748. 
At  this  period,  Litchfield  was  in  a  condition  too  weak  and  ex- 
posed to  be  expected  to  lend  any  efficient  aid  in  such  a  contest. 
Indeed,  it  is  not  known  that  her  soldiery  were  in  any  instance 
called  upon  to  march  any  considerable  distance  from  her  own 
frontiers.  Our  records  give  no  indication  of  any  unusual  ex- 
citement— the  seat  of  the  war  being,  in  this  instance,  so  far  dis- 
tant, that  our  people  seem  scarcely  to  have  been  conscious 
of  its  existence.  The  voters  assembled  in  town  meeting,  went 
through  with  the  ordinary  routine  of  business,  and  adjourned, 
without  intimating  that  the  town  or  the  colony  was  in  any 
way  interested  in  the  fierce  conflict  that  was  then  being  waged 
between  England  and  France. 

Mr.  Cothren  informs  us  that  in  May,  1748,  the  inhabitants 
of  Woodbury  appointed  Col.  William  Preston  an  Agent  to  pre- 
fer a  Memorial  to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  organization  of 
a  new  county  to  be  called  the  County  of  Woodbury,  to  embrace 
the  towns  of  Woodbury,  Waterbury,  New  Milford,  Litchfield 
and  New  Fairfield,  and  as  many  of  the  northern  towns  as 
might  choose  to  join  them — with  Woodbury  for  the  county  seat. 
The  result  need  not  be  told. 

At  the  October  Session  of  the  Legislature,  A.  D.  1751,  the 
County  of  Litchfield  was  organized,  and  embraced  seventeen 
towns,  viz.,  Litchfield,  Woodbury,  New  Milford,  New  Hart- 
ford, Harwinton,  Barkhamsted,  Colebrook,  Canaan,  Goshen, 
Cornwall,  Hartland,  Kent,  Norfolk,  Salisbury,  Sharon,  Tor- 
rington  and  Winchester.  For  some  time  much  difference  of 
opinion  prevailed  as  to  the  location  of  the  shire  town.     Litch- 


FIRST    COUNTY    OFFICERS.  73 

field,  Goshen,  Canaan  and  Cornwall,  urged  their  respective 
claims  with  much  zeal ;  but  the  most  formidable  contest  was 
between  Litchfield  and  Goshen.  The  latter  was  supposed  to 
occupy  the  geographical  center  of  the  proposed  county,  and 
many  persons  had  settled  there  in  expectation  that  the  seat  of 
justice  would  be  established  in  that  town,  among  whom  was 
Oliver  Wolcott,  afterwards  Governor.  To  the  sore  disappoint- 
ment of  many  of  the  contestants,  Litchfield  was  ultimately 
named  as  the  county  seat  in  the  act  incorporating  the  new 
county.  This  was  a  most  important  event  in  the  history  of  the 
town  ;  and  from  this  time  onward,  for  several  years,  it  rapidly 
improved  in  its  appearance  as  well  as  in  the  number  and  char- 
acter of  its  inhabitants.  By  a  census  taken  in  1756,  it  was 
ascertained  that  its  population  was  1366.  Oliver  Wolcott  was 
appointed  first  High  Sheriff,  and  immediately  thereupon  took 
up  his  residence  in  this  village.     John  Catlin,  of  Litchfield,  X 

was  appointed  County  Treasurer  ;  Isaac  Baldwin,  of  Litchfield 
County  Clerk;  William  Preston,  of  Woodbury,  Chief  Judge  • 
Thomas  Chipman,  of  Salisbury,  Samuel  Canfield,  of  New 
Milford,  John  Williams,  of  Sharon,  and  Ebenezer  Marsh,  of 
Litchfield,  Associate  Judges ;  and  Samuel  Pettibone,  of  Go- 
shen, King's  Attorney. 

Even  after  this  county  was  thus  formed,  and  its  officers  ap- 
pointed, the  town  of  Woodbury  continued  to  manifest  her 
dissatisfaction  in  various  ways  and  at  all  reasonable  times. 
Instead  of  being  made  the  central  and  shire  town  of  the  new 
county,  she  was  left  quite  in  one  corner.  She  first  petitioned 
the  Legislature,  (in  May  and  again  in  October,  1752,)  to  be 
re-annexed  to  the  county  of  Fairfield.  Twenty  years  later, 
an  effort  was  again  made  to  persuade  the  General  Assembly 
to  organize  a  county  to  be  called  Woodbury.  On  this  occasion 
the  town  of  Woodbury  laid  a  rate  of  a  penny  and  a  half  on  the 
pound,  in  addition  to  the  regular  tax,  to  be  applied  toward 
erecting  the  count  1/  buildings;  and,  further,  she  generously 
offered  the  use  of  her  Town  Hall  for  a  Court  House  !  The 
reader  will  not  need  to  be  informed,  that  these  as  well  as  more 
recent  attempts  to  destroy  the  ancient  landmarks  of  the  Coun_ 
ty  of  Litchfield,  have  proved  ■unsuccessful. 

10 


74  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

At  a  town  meeting,  held  in  December,  1753,  liberty  was 
voted  to  Isaac  Hosford  and  others  "  to  erect  a  house  for  their 
convenience  on  Sabbath  Days,  east  of  the  meeting-house."    In 
January  1759,  liberty  was  granted  to  Mr.  John  Farnham  to 
"  set  up  a  Sabbath-Day  House  in  the  highway  a  little  north  of 
the  School  House."     Capt.  Edward  Phelps  erected  a  similar 
house  in  the  middle  of  East-street  nearly  opposite  the  present 
church-edifice  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  ;  and  still 
another  was  remembered  by  the  late  Mr.  Elisha  Mason,  which 
stood  on  or  near  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  dwelling-house 
of  Dr.  Lewis  in  East-street.     As  they  were  among  the  "  insti- 
tutions" of  the  Olden  Time,  and  are  quite  unknown  in  our 
day,  a  brief  reference  to  their  design  in  connection  with  one 
of  the  simple  customs  of  our  ancestors,  can  hardly  require  an 
apology.     They  were  built  by,  and  for  the  accommodation  of, 
persons  residing  at  a  distance  from  church — their  object  being, 
to  furnish  the  owners  and  their  families,  together  with  such 
friends  as  they  might  choose  to  invite,  with  a  warm  retreat,  in 
winter,  during  the  intermission  between  the  forenoon  and  af- 
ternoon services  on  the  Sabbath.     We  must  bear  in  mind  that 
in  those  days  a  stove,  or  any  other  means  of  warming  a  church, 
had  never  been  seriously  thought  of.     These  houses  generally 
consisted  of  two  rooms,  each  about  twelve  feet  square,  with  a 
chimney  between  them  and  a  fire-place  in  each  room  ;  and  in 
such  cases  were  erected  at  the  expense  of  two  or  more  families. 
Dry  fuel  was  kept  in  each  room  ready  for  kindling  a  fire.     If 
the  cold  was  extreme,  the  "  hired  man  "  or  one  of  the  sons 
might  be  sent  forward  in  advance  of  the  family,  to  get  the  room 
well  warmed  before  their  arrival.     The  family,  after  filling  the 
ample  saddlebags  with  refreshments,  including  a  bottle  of  beer 
or  cider,  took  an  early  start  for  the  sanctuary.     Calling  first 
at  their  Sabbath-Day  House,  they  deposited  their  luncheon, 
and  having  warmed  themselves,  and  covered  up  the  glowing 
embers,  they  were  ready  at  the  appointed  moment  to  take 
their  seats  in  the  house  of  worship,  there  to  shiver  in  the  cold 
during  the  morning  service.     At  noon,  they  returned  to  their 
room,  with  perhaps  a  few  friends.     The  fire  was  re-kindled, 
the  saddlebags  were  brought  forth,  and  their  contents  placed 


THE    ACADlANd.  75 

u\  on  a  prophet's  table,  of  which  all  partook.  The  frugal  repast 
being  ended,  thanks  were  returned.  The  patriarch  of  the 
household  then  drew  from  his  pocket  the  notes  he  had  taken 
of  the  morning  sermon,  which  were  fully  reviewed — all  enjoy- 
ing the  utmost  freedom  in  their  remarks.  Sometimes  a  well 
chosen  chapter,  or  a  page  from  some  favorite  author,  was  read, 
and  the  noon-service  was  not  unfrequently  closed  with  a  prayer. 
All  then  returned  to  the  house  of  God.  Before  starting  for 
home  at  the  elose  of  the  afternoon  service,  they  once  more 
repaired  to  their  Sabbath  House,  gathered  up  the  saddlebags, 
■wrapped  themselves  thoroughly  up,  saw  that  the  fire  was  left 
safe,  and  in  due  time  all  were  snugly  seated  in  the  sleigh, 
and  bound  homeward. 

By  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht  that  part  of  the  old  French  domin. 
ion  called  Acadia,  or  Xova  Scotia,  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain. 
In  174t»,  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty  English  ad- 
venturers, under  the  Hon.  Edward  Cornwallis,  sailed  for  that 
country,  and  settled  on  the  coast  at  a  place  which  they  named 
Halifax,  in  honor  of  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  one  of  the  Lords  of 
Trade  and  Plantations.  During  the  following  year,  the  French 
Governor  of  Canada  sent  an  army  of  Frenchmen  and  Indians 
to  reduce  Xova  Scotia.  The  expedition  was  successful — and 
Acadia  was  once  more  a  French  province.  The  French  neu- 
trals (many  of  whom  had  been  driven  off,  or  had  been  so  per- 
secuted that  they  were  virtually  compelled  to  leave,)  now 
joyfully  returned  to  their  old  homes,  by  special  invitation  of 
the  government. 

The  sad  story  of  the  Acadians,  or  "  French  Neutrals,"  has 
often  been  told  :  but  the  subject  is  not  likely  to  be  exhausted, 
while  sympathy  for  the  innocent  and  sorrowing  has  a  place  in 
the  human  heart.  The  classic  lyre  of  Longfellow  and  the 
historic  pen  of  Bancroft  have  alike  celebrated  their  wrongs  ; 
and  a  mere  outline  of  the  principal  events  in  their  history, 
must  suffice  for  our  present  purpose.  Acadia,  or  Xova  Scotia, 
was  early  settled  by  the  French  Catholics,  who  soon  surround- 
ed themselves  by  many  of  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of 
civilized  life.  They  erected  respectable  dwellings  and  church- 
es, and  cleared  up  and  cultivated  their  lands.     At  length  the 


76  THE    HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

English  took  possession  of  the  island,  and  the  French  were 
subjected  to  the  grossest  indignities  by  those  who  were  bent 
upon  obtaining  possession  of  their  bouses  and  lands.  They 
expressed  their  willingness  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
England,  but  refused  to  bear  arms  against  their  beloved  France. 
Their  oppressors  now  resolved  to  break  up  the  settlements  and 
disperse  the  people  among  the  other  English  colonies  in  Amer- 
ica. A  proclamation  was  accordingly  issued,  ordering  all  the 
males  of  French  descent,  of  ten  years  old  and  upwards,  to  ap- 
pear at  certain  places  designated,  on  the  5th  of  September, 
1755.  They  obeyed  the  summons — little  dreaming  of  the  fate 
that  awaited  them.  On  their  arrival,  they  were  forthwith  de- 
clared to  be  the  king's  prisoners,  and  were  informed  that  their 
houses,  lands  and  live-stock  were  confiscated  to  the  crown,  but 
that  they  were  at  liberty  to  take  with  them  their  money  and 
household  goods.  On  the  loth  of  the  same  month,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-one  men  were  driven,  at  the  point  of  the  bayo- 
net, on  board  the  vessel  which  was  to  convey  them  from  their 
homes  forever.  During  the  autumn  and  early  part  of  winter, 
seven  thousand  of  these  miserable  exiles  were  thus  forced  on 
ship-board  and  scattered  over  the  colonies,  from  New  Hamp- 
shire to  Georgia.  Four  hundred  were  sent  to  Connecticut  ; 
who,  at  an  extra  session  of  the  Legislature  convened  on  the  21st 
of  January,  1756,  were  distributed  among  some  fifty  towns 
according  to  their  grand  lists.  Husbands  and  wives,  parents 
and  children,  brothers  and  sisters,  were  thus  arbitrarily  separ- 
ated— their  destination  and  destiny  unknown  to  each  other ! 
Precisely  the  number  that  was  ultimately  allotted  to  Litchfield, 
I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  At  least  two  of  them  are 
remembered  by  persons  now  living.  One  of  the  number 
(named  Sybil  Sharway  or  Shearaway)  married  Mr.  Thomas 
Harrison,  a  prominent  citizen  of  this  town,  in  1764,  and  her 
descendants  are  now  among  our  most  excellent  and  respected 
people.  The  Selectmen  and  Civil  Authority  of  each  town 
were  directed  to  provide  for  the  exiles,  and  take  proper  care 
of  the  sick  and  aged ;  and  not  to  allow  any  one  of  them  to 
leave  the  town  without  a  written  order  or  passport.  It  was 
further  provided  by  the  Legislature,  that  if  any  one  should  be 


THE   LAST    FRENCH    WAR.  77 

found  beyond  the  prescribed  limits,  lie  should  thereafter  be 
confined  and  not  permitted  to  go  at  large. 

It  is  not  until  January,  1759,  that  our  town  records  make 
any  allusion  to  these  people.  At  this  date  it  was  "  voted  that 
the  Selectmen  may  provide  a  house  or  some  suitable  place  in 
the  town,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  French. "  In  the  County 
Treasurer's  book,  also,  occurs  the  following  entry,  viz  :  "  To 
paid  John  Xewbree  for  keeping  William  Dunlap  and  the  French 
persons,  54s.  Qd.,  which  the  County  allowed,  and  R.  Sherman, 
Justice  of  the  Quorum,  drew  an  order  dated  April  25,  1760, 
as  per  order  on  file." 

What  is  usually  termed  the  last  French  War  commenced  in 
1755  and  continued  eight  years.  In  this  great  contest  Litch- 
field was  actively  engaged.  Indeed,  the  people  of  all  the 
northern  English  colonies  were  required  to  exert  themselves  to 
their  utmost  capacity  to  repel  the  invasions  of  the  French. 
During  the  preceding  winter,  Sir  Thomas  Robinson,  one  of  the 
king's  principal  Secretaries  of  State,  had  addressed  a  letter  to 
Connecticut  in  his  majesty's  name,  containing  the  intelligence 
that  troops  were  about  to  be  sent  from  England  to  aid  the  col- 
onies, and  calling  upon  her  to  raise  her  quota  of  the  balance 
of  the  forces  that  might  be  deemed  requisite  for  the  contem- 
plated expedition  against  Crown  Point.  The  Assembly  was 
immediately  called  together ;  and  it  was  resolved  to  raise  one 
thousand  men  for  the  campaign,  and  the  Governor  was  at  the 
same  time  authorized,  in  case  of  emergency,  to  call  out  five 
hundred  more.  When  the  united  forces  of  British,  Provincials 
and  Indians,  reached  Albany,  their  place  of  rendezvous,  they 
constituted  an  army  of  over  six  thousand  men — under  the  chief 
command  of  General  William  Johnson.     The  two  Connecticut 

J  incuts  were  under  the  immediate  command  of  General 
Phineas  Lyman  and  Colonel  Elizur  Goodrich  ;  the  Indians  be- 
ing under  guidance  of  the  celebrated  Mohawk  Chief,  Hen- 
drick.  In  this  campaign,  the  French  were  defeated  in  an  im- 
portant action  near  Lake  George,  though  Colonel  Williams,  of 
one  of  tlx1  Massachusetts  regiments,  and  the  invincible  Hen- 
drick,  were  slain.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Whiting,  who,  by  the 
fall  of  his  superior,  became  the  chief  officer  in  the  most  fatal 


78  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

part  of  the  engagement,  eminently  distinguished  himself  as  a 
cool,  brave  and  judicious  commander.  Seven  hundred  of  the 
French  were  left  dead  on  the  field,  and  the  brave  Dieskau  was 
fatally  wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  For  this  victory  Johnson 
was  knighted.  Before  the  battle  Avas  fought,  however,  he  had 
sent  an  earnest  requisition  to  Governor  Fitch  for  more  troops. 
In  response  to  this  call,  the  Legislature  was  convened  in 
August,  1755 ;  and  it  was  resolved  to  raise  two  additional 
regiments,  and  send  them  forthwith  into  the  field.  Samuel 
Talcott  and  Elihu  Chauncey  were  commissioned  as  Colonels 
of  these  regiments,  and  Drs.  Timothy  Collins  of  Litchfield,  and 
Jonathan  Marsh  of  Norwich,  were  appointed  Physicians  and 
Surgeons.  These  regiments,  consisting  of  seven  lmndred  and 
fifty  men  each,  were  on  their  march  within  a  week  after  the 
alarm  was  given.  Connecticut  now  had  in  the  northern  army 
not  less  than  two  thousand  five  hundred  men.  Though  Crown 
Point  was  not  taken,  Great  Britain  and  her  Colonies  were 
jubilant  over  the  success  of  their  arms. 

I  will  not  stop  to  detail  the  incidents  of  the  disastrous  cam- 
paigns of  1756  and  1757.  Through  the  inefficiency  of  such 
British  officers  of  Abercrombie,  Loudoun  and  "Webb,  the  finest 
army  that  had  ever  trodden  the  soil  of  America,  was  permitted 
to  accomplish  nothing.  The  capture  of  Crown  Point  had  been 
abandoned,  and  an  unsuccessful  attack  had  been  made  upon 
Louisbourg.  During  these  years,  Connecticut  kept  constantly 
in  the  field  a  force  of  five  thousand  men.  The  campaign  of 
1758  opened  with  auguries  of  better  success,  under  the  auspi- 
ces of  Mr.  Pitt,  who  had  been  elevated  to  the  premiership. 
Connecticut  at  once  resolved  to  raise  five  thousand  men  for 
the  service,  which  was  one  quarter  of  all  the  troops  called  for 
from  the  northern  colonies.  The  Connecticut  troops  were 
formed  into  four  regiments,  and  Colonels  Phineas  Lyman, 
Nathan  Whiting,  Eliphalet  Dyer  and  John  Read,  were  appointed 
commanders.  At  the  same  time,  Benjamin  Hinman,  of  Wood- 
bury, in  this  county,  was  commissioned  as  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  one  of  these  regiments.  Fourteen  thousand  regulars,  and 
a  considerable  naval  force,  were  sent  over  from  England  to 
co-operate  with  the  provincials.     A  portion  of  these  troops, 


THE    FRENCH    WAR.  79 

under  Lord  Amherst  and  General  Wolfe,  together  with  the 
ships-of-the-line  under  Admiral  Boscawen,  were  sent  against 
Louisbourg  ;  while  the  remainder  of  the  provincials  and  regu- 
lars, under  General  Abercrombie  and  Lord  Howe,  went  on  an 
expedition  against  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga.  The  Con- 
necticut men  were  with  both  of  these  divisions  of  the  army. 
The  garrison  at  Louisbourg,  witli  its  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred regulars,  six  hundred  militia,  and  vast  quantity  of  mil- 
itary stores,  was  surrendered  into  the  hands  of  the  victorious 
English  and  provincials.  Abercrombic's  expedition,  however, 
did  not  prove  as  successful.  Having  been  twice  repulsed,  with 
the  loss  of  Lord  Howe,  the  commanding  general  ordered  a 
retreat,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  provincial  officers, 
who  believed  that  victory  was  still  within  their  reach.  Colonel 
Whiting's  Connecticut  regiment  was  with  Abercrombie  ;  and 
the  "  orderly  book"  which  lie  used  in  that  unfortunate  cam- 
paign, is  still  in  the  possession  of  his  grandson,  Major  Jason 
Whiting,  of  Litchfield,  and  contains  many  interesting  facts  ^ 
relating  to  the  transactions  of  that  branch  of  the  army  with 
which  he  was  connected. 

From  this  time  till  the  close  of  the  war,  Connecticut  con- 
tinued to  keep  in  the  field  not  far  from  five  thousand  men. 
In  the  campaign  of  1759-'60,  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga 
were  captured  by  the  English  ;  and  subsequently,  Montreal 
and  the  whole  of  the  French  possessions  in  Canada  were  surren- 
dered into  their  hands.  In  all  the  transactions  of  this  memor- 
able war.  Litchfield  contributed  her  full  quota  of  men  and 
mean<.  Unfortunately,  but  a  single  list  of  the  soldiers  raised" 
in  this  town, during  the  period  referred  to,  has  been  preserved. 
The  names  of  some  of  the  Litchfield  officers  who  received 
commissions  between  the  years  1755  and  1763,  are  here 
given,  as  it  is  known  that  a  part  of  them  were  in  the  war,  viz., 
Solomon  Buel, Captain.  1756  ;  Ebenezer  Marsh,  Colonel,  1757 ; 
Isaac  Baldwin,  Captain,  do. ;  Joshua  Smith,  Lieutenant,  do,; 
Abner  Baldwin,  Ensign,  do.  ;  Archibald  McXeile,  Captain, 
1758:  Zebulon  Gibbs,  Ensign,  do.  ;  Stephen  Smith,  Lieuten- 
ant, 1760  ;  Eli  Catlin,  Lieutenant,  do.  ;  Isaac  Moss,  Lieuten- 
'  ant,   1761 ;   Josiah   Smith,  Lieutenant,   do.  ;    Asa  Hopkins, 


80 


HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 


Lieutenant,  do.  ;  Gideon  Harrison,  Ensign,  do. ;  David  Lan- 
don,  Ensign,  do. ;  Lynde  Lord,  Ensign,  1762.  Zebulon  Gibbs 
(whose  Narrative  we  give  in  the  Appendix,)  informs  us  that  lie 
was  in  the  northern  army  from  1756  to  1762.  In  March, 
1758,  he  was  commissioned  as  Ensign  in  Captain  Hurlbut's 
company,  which  was  raised  as  a  part  of  the  force  designed  for 
the  capture  of  Crown  Point. 

The  following  names  are  copied  from  "  A  Pay-Roll  for  Capt. 
Archibald  McNeile's  Company,  in  the  Second  Regiment  of 
Connecticut  Forces,  for  the  year  1762," — which  is  on  file  in 
the  Secretary's  Office,  Hartford  : 


Archibald  McNeile,  Captain. 
Isaac  Moss,  1st  Lieutenant, 
Increase  Moseley,  2d  do. 
Elisha  Blinn,  Ensign, 
Thomas  Catlin,  Sergeant, 
Nathaniel  Taylor      do. 
Bezaleel  Beebe,        do.  l 
Hezekiah  Lee,  do. 

Arch'd  McNeile,  jr.  do. 
Roger  Catlin,      Corporal, 
Wm.  Drinkwater,     do. 
Nathan  Stoddard,     do. 
James  Lassly,  do. 

Daniel  Barns,    Drummer, 
Jacob  Bartholomew,  do. 
Charles  Richards, 
Samuel  Warner, 
Samuel  Gipson, 
Joseph  Jones, 
John  Barrett, 
John  Barrett,  jr. 
William  Forster, 
Francis  Mazuzan, 
Thomas  Wedge, 
Reuben  Smith,        9 
Jeremiah  Osborn, 
Benjamin  Landon, 
Isaac  Osborn, 


Robert  Coe, 
Adam  Mott, 
Asahel  Hinman, 
Roswell  Fuller, 
Daniel  Grant, 
William  Emons, 
Moses  Stoddard, 
Gideon  Smith, 
Jonathan  Smith, 
Hezekiah  Leach, 
Adam  Hurlbut, 
Jeremiah  Harris, 
Eli  Emons, 
Alexander  Waugh, 
Orange  Stoddard, 
Ezekiel  Shepard, 
Ozias  Hurlbut, 
Daniel  Harris, 
John  Collins, 
Solomon  Palmer, 
JonatTian  Phelps, 
John  Cogswell, 
Mark  Kenney, 
Aaron  Thrall, 
Timothy  Brown, 
Roswell  Dart, 
William  Bulford, 
James  Manville, 


SOLDIERS   OF   THE    FRENCH    WAR. 


81 


Benjamin  Bissell, 
David  Nichols. 
Ichabod  Squire, 
Comfort  Jackson, 
Elisha  Walker, 
Amos  Brougton, 
Nathaniel  Lewis, 
Levi  Bonny, 
Thomas  Barker, 
Samuel  Drinkwater, 
Asahel  Gray, 
Eliakim  Gibbs, 
Samuel  Peet, 
Ephraim  Smedley, 
Edmund  Hawes, 
Silas  Tucker, 
Robert  Bell, 
Thomas  Sherwood, 
Ephraim  Knapp, 


Thomas  Williams, 
Justus  Seelye, 
James  Francier, 
George  Peet, 
Nathaniel  Barnum, 
Adonijah  Roice, 
Elisha  Ingraham, 
Daniel  Hurlbut, 
Ebenezer  Blackman, 
Domini  Douglas, 
Amos  Tolls, 
Thomas  Ranny, 
Daniel  Hamilton, 
Asahel  Hodge, 
Daniel  Warner, 
Titus  Tolls, 
John  Ripner, 
Caleb  Nichols, 
John  Fryer, 
Ebenezer  Pickett, 


Titus  Tyler, 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  all  the  members  of  Captain 
McXeile's  company  belonged  in  Litchfield.  Some  in  the  list 
are  recognized  as  residents  of  neighboring  towns.  Lieutenant 
Moseley,  for  instance,  was  a  Woodbury  man.  He  became  an 
eminent  lawyer,  legislator  and  judge,  in  his  native  county,  and 
afterwards  removed  to  Vermont,  and  was  there  elevated  to 
the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

The  name  of  the  late  Colonel  Beebe,  of  his  town,  will  be 
noticed  among  the  Sergeants  of  this  company.  At  a  still  earlier 
date,  he  had  been  a  member  of  Major  Rogers  celebrated  corps 
of  Rangers,  and  was  engaged  in  one  of  the  forest  fights  when 
the  soldiers  were  dispersed  by  order  of  their  commander,  and 
each  man  was  directed  to  fight,  in  true  Indian  style,  from  be- 
hind a  tree.  Beebe  chanced  to  be  stationed  near  Lieutenant 
Gaylord,  who  was  also  from  Litchfield  county.  He  had  just. 
spoken  to  Gaylord,  and  at  the  moment  was  looking  him  in  the 
face  for  a  reply,  when  he  observed  a  sudden  break  of  the  skin 
in  the  forehead,  and  the  Lieutenant  instantly  fell  dead — a  ball 
from  the  enemy  having  passed  through  his  head. 

11 


82  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

The  long  succession  of  colonial  wars,  which  had  now 
terminated,  had  taxed  the  American  people  almost  beyond 
precedent.  The  whole  country  was  yet  new,  and  but  thinly 
settled.  The  farms  were  only  partially  cleared  up,  and  the 
great  mass  of  the  population  were  poor  and  compelled  to  delve 
hard  for  the  requisite  food  for  the  subsistence  of  themselves 
and  families.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  most  efficient  and  able-bodied  men  were  constantly  being 
called  off  to  fill  the  ranks  of  the  army  ;  while  those  who  remain- 
ed at  home  must  support  themselves,  provide  food  and  cloth- 
ing for  the  soldiers,  and  pay  the  enormous  taxes  which  war 
always  brings  in  its  train.  If  those  who  first  enlisted,  lived 
to  return  home,  they  or  others  were  soon  called  upon  again 
and  again  to  enter  the  public  service.  This  long  experience 
and  severe  discipline,  however,  was,  unwittingly  to  all,  pre- 
paring officers,  soldiers  and  citizens,  for  the  severer  and  more 
important  crisis  which  was  then  approaching. 

The  next  great  question  which  agitated  the  minds  of  our 
people,  was  that  relating  to  the  Stamp  Act.  The  peace  of 
1763  had  left  Great  Britain  immensely  in  debt,  and  the  eyes 
of  her  financiers  were  at  once  turned  towards  the  American 
Colonies,  as  a  field  whence  their  future  revenues  might  be 
materially  augmented.  The  proposed  impost  was  at  length 
laid,  by  an  act  of  parliament,  "  upon  every  skin,  or  piece  of 
vellum,  or  parchment,  or  sheet  or  piece  of  paper,"  that  should 
be  thenceforth  used  in  the  colonies  ;  and  no  deed,  lease,  bond, 
policy  or  mortgage,  was  legal,  unless  it  bore  the  royal  stamp. 
This  act  created  great  indignation  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
The  Legislature  of  Connecticut  protested  against  it,  and  finally 
agreed  upon  an  address  to  parliament,  which  was  sent  to  the 
colonial  agent  in  London,  with  instructions  "  firmly  to  insist 
on  the  exclusive  right  of  the  colonies  to  tax  themselves." 
The  people  everywhere  were  excited,  and  the  measure  was 
freely  discussed  and  boldly  denounced  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets,  in  popular  assemblies,  and  in  town  meetings.  The 
more  resolute  and  reckless  of  the  populace  formed  themselves 
into  secret  organizations  called  "  The  Sons  of  Liberty"  with 
the  design  of  preventing  the  use  of  the  stamped  paper  by  a 


THE    STAMP    ACT.  83 

summary  process,  if  necessary.  In  this  town  there  wis  probs 
ably  no  difference  of  opinion  on  the  main  question  at  issue. 
On  matters  of  minor  importance,  the  people  did   not  alway, 

■.  The  Connecticut  Courant  of  February  10th,  17'IG,  con- 
tains a  communication  dated  at  Litchfield  on  the  1st  of  Febru- 
ary of  that  year,  which  is  as  follows — "  At  the  Desire  of  several 
of  the  Towns  in  this  County,  by  their  Agents  chosen  and  sent 
here  for  that  Purpose,  a  Meeting  was  called  of  the  Free-born 
S>ns  of  Liberty,  to  meet  at  the  Court-House  in  this  Town  ;  and 
being  assembled  to  the  Number  of  about  forty  or  fifty  Persons- 
proceeded  upon  the  Business  for  which  they  met.  And  not. 
withstanding  the  great  Opposition  they  met  with,  from  Col. 
E r  M h  and  one'  S n  S e*  (whereby  the  Meet- 
ing was  much  hindered,)  yet  they  came  to  the  Choice  of  five 

Lemen,  who  were  to  act  as  Agents,  and  are  to  join  the 
Gentlemen  from  the  other  Towns  in  the  County,  who  are  to 
here,  at  a  general  County  Meeting,  to  be  held  on  the 
second  Tuesday  of  February,  1766,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon :  when  it  is  expected  they  will  come  to  such  Resolves  as 
they  shall  think  most  Conducive  to  prevent  the  Thing  we  fear 
from  ever  taking  Place  among  us.  The  Meeting  would  have 
been  conducted  with  the  utmost  good  Agreement  and  Dispatch, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  Gentlemen  mentioned  above,  who  em- 
ployed all  their  Power  to  render  it  abortive,  not  only  by  con- 
suming the  Time  in  long  and  needless  Speeches,  (wherein  Mr. 

M h  especially  discovered  to  all  present,  an  inexhaustible 

Fund  of  Knowledge,  by  several  new-coined  Words,  unknown 

in  th''  English  Language  before,)  but  they  also  opposed  by 

their  Votes  almost  every  Motion  that  was  made  to  forward  it." 

The  Courant  of  February  24th,  contains  the  doings  of  the 

sntion  referred  to.  In  their  declarations,  the  purest  senti- 
ments of  patriotism  and  loyalty,  are  blended  with  a  love  of  good 
order  and  a  regard  for  the  supremacy  of  the  law,  which  are 
remarkable  for  those  times.  The  people  of  Litchfield  were  no 
friends  of  mob-law,  even  when  mobs  were  fashionable  elsewhere. 

ration  from  the  mother-country,  was  a  subject  which  had 
not  then  been  breathed  audibly,  even  if  it  had  been  thought  of, 
by  the  most  zealous  patriot.     Hence,  while  some  of  these  sen- 

*  The  names  are  thus  left  blauk  in  the  Courant. 


84  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

timents,  in  the  boldness  and  beanty  of  their  expression,  almost 
rival  some  of  those  which  were  ten  years  subsequently  embodi- 
ed in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  they  are  still  made 
subservient  to  the  condition  of  the  people  as  faithful  subjects 
of  the  king.  The  same  spirit  led  them  in  due  time  to  throw 
off  the  yoke  of  foreign  despotism  and  to  vindicate  their  rights 
as  Freemen.  In  the  article  which  is  here  given,  the  original 
copy  is  followed  in  capitalizing-  as  well  as  in  other  respects : 

"  At  a  Meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  almost  all  the  Towns  in 
Litchfield  County,  convened  by  their  Agents  in  Litchfield 
on  the  Second  Tuesday  in  February,  1766,  for  the  Pur- 
pose of  giving  the  clearest  Manifestation  of  their  fixed  and 
most  ardent  Desires  to  preserve,  as  far  as  in  them  lies, 
those  inherent  Rights  and  Privileges  which  essentially 
belong  to  them  as  a  Free  People,  and  which  are  founded 
upon  the  unalterable  Basis  of  the  British  Constitution, 
and  have  been  confirmed  by  the  most  solemn  Sanctions 
— and  of  their  readiness  to  promote  (according  to  their 
Ability,)  the  public  Peace  and  Happiness,  which  have 
been  greatly  disturbed  by  the  most  alarming  Infringements 
upon  their  Rights — the  following  Sentiments  were  unani- 
mously agreed  in  : 
"  I.  That  they  entertain  the  highest  Regard  and  Veneration 
for  those  just  and  virtuous  Resolutions  made  by  the  Hon. 
House  of  Representatives  of  this  Colony  in  October  last,  ex- 
pressing the  Duty  and  faithful  Allegiance  which  they  and  the 
Inhabitants  of  this  Colony  owe  to  our  rightful  Sovereign,  King- 
George  the  Third — and  those  Rights  and  Privileges  which 
essentially  belong  to  His  Majesty's  Subjects  in  this  Colony ; 
and  likewise  those  Sentiments  respecting  the  unconstitutional 
Nature  of  an  Act  of  the  British  Parliament  for  granting  Stamp- 
Duties  in  the  British  Colonies. 

"II.  That  they  conceive,  to  keep  up  in  their  brightest  View 
the  first  Principles  and  Origins  of  the  English  Government, 
and  strictly  to  adhere  to  the  primary  Institutions  of  it,  is  the 
only  sure  Way  to  preserve  the  same,  and  consequently  the 
Prerogative  of  the  Crown,  and  the  Civil  Liberties  of  the  Sub- 
ject, inviolate. 


THE   STAMP-ACT.  85 

"  III.  That  the}7  are  not  able  to  form  a  more  perfect  Idea  of 
Allegiance  to  His  Majesty,  than  what  consists  in  an  inflexible 
Attachment  to  the  forementioned  Principles. 

"  IV.  That,  in  their  Opinion,  for  any  Power  whatsoever  to 
claim  a  Right  to  dispose  of  their  Property  without  their  Conr 
sent,  given  in  a  Constitutional  Way,  is,  in  Effect,  to  claim  a 
Right  to  dispose  of  all  their  Property  at  Pleasure. 

"  V.  That  for  innocent  Subjects  to  be  imminently  exposed 
to  certain  Ruin,  by  the  Execution  of  any  penal  Statute,  is, 
they  conceive,  utterly  irreconcilable  with  every  just  Idea  of 
Freedom. 

"  VI.  That  God  made  Mankind  free,  (as  being  essential  to 
their  Happiness,)  and  as,  by  His  Blessing,  the  Advantages  of 
English  Liberty  have  been  handed  down  to  them  from  their 
most  virtuous  and  loyal  Ancestors,  so  they  will  endeavor,  by 
all  reasonable  Ways  and  Means  within  their  Power,  uprightly 
to  preserve  and  faithfully  to  transmit  the  same  to  their  Pos- 
terity. 

••  VII.  That  they  really  believe,  without  the  least  Shadow 
of  a  Doubt,  that  said  Act,  imposing  Stamp-Duties,  &c.  is 
unconstitutional,  and  therefore  necessarily  believe  that  the 
Observance  thereof  is  not  obligatory  upon  them. 

"  VIII.  That  any  Office  for  distributing  Stamped  Papers  in 
this  Colony,  appears  odious  and  detestable  to  them,  as  being, 
in  its  Operation,  utterly  destructive  of  their  most  valuable 
Rights. 

"  IX.  That  if  any  Stamped  Papers  shall  be  imported  into, 
any  Part  of  this  Colony  (which  they  most  cordially  wish  might 
never  be,)  they  hope  the  speediest  public  Notice  thereof  may  be 
given,  that  the  same  may  be  preserved  untouched  for  His 
Majesty. 

>-  X.  That  if  any  Person  in  this  Colony  has  represented  that 
the  People  in  it  might,  under  any  possible  circumstances,  be- 
come willing  to  have  the  aforesaid  Act  executed  upon  them, 
or  to  have  one  Farthing  of  their  Property  taken  from  them, 
except  by  their  own  Consent,  given  as  aforesaid,  they  are  per- 
suaded that  such  Representation  must  have  been  the  Result 


86  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

of  extreme  stupid  Ignorance,  or  dictated  by  a  malignant,  apos- 
tate Spirit. 

"  XL  That  they  will  never  suffer  any  Jealousies  to  arise  in 
their  Minds,  that  any  Person  in  this  Colony  is  unfriendly  to  its 
Civil  Liberties,  except  upon  the  fullest,  clearest,  and  most  un- 
deniable Evidence. 

"  XII.  That  it  was  never  any  Part  of  the  Design  of  this 
Meeting  to  endeavor  to  bring  about  the  least  Alteration  in  the 
Legislative  Body  of  this  Colony. 

"  XIII.  That  whereas  some  very  ignorant  or  dissolute  Per- 
sons may,  in  this  time  of  Perplexity,  be  disposed  to  commit 
Outrages  against  the  Persons  or  Property  of  others,  or  to  treat 
with  Disrespect  and  Insult  the  civil  Authority  of  this  Colony : 
They  do  therefore  hereby  solemnly  declare,  that  Nothing  (ex- 
cept a  Privation  of  their  Liberties,)  could  or  ought  to  fill  their 
Minds  with  a  deeper  and  more  fixed  Resentment  than  such 
Conduct — and  that  they  will  always  be  ready  and  willing  to 
assist  and  support,  to  the  utmost  of  their  Ability,  the  public 
Magistrates,  in  preserving,  in  the  greatest  Purity,  the  Peace 
and  good  Order  of  the  Public. 

"  XIV.  That  these  their  Sentiments  of  firm  Allegiance  to 
His  Majesty,  and  their  strong  and  unfailing  Desires  to  preserve 
their  Constitutional  Rights  and  Privileges,  and  to  promote  the 
public  Peace,  good  Order,  and  Happiness,  be  published  in  the 
Connecticut  Courant,  and  that  this  Meeting  be  adjourned  to 
the  third  Tuesday  in  March  next,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
.  noon,  to  be  held  at  this  place." 

The  Stamp-Act  was  followed  by  laying  a  tax  upon  divers 
other  articles  imported  from  England,  which  led  to  a  combin- 
ation known  as  "  the  non-importation  agreement."  This 
agreement  was,  however,  shamefully  violated  by  many  of  the 
New  York  merchants.  The  indignation  of  the  people  of  Con- 
necticut was  in  consequence  fully  aroused  ;  and  it  was  resolved 
that  a  General  Convention  of  Delegates  from  all  the  towns  in 
the  colony,  should  be  held  in  New  Haven,  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1770,  "  to  take  into  consideration  the  perilous  condi- 
tion of  the  Country,  to  provide  for  the  growth  and  spread  of 
home-manufactures,  and  to  devise  more  thorough  means  for 


PREPARING    FOR   THE   REVOLUTION.  87 

carrying  out  to  the  letter  the  non-importation  agreement."  A 
town  meeting  was  held  in  Litchfield,  on  the  30th  of  August 
— Mr.  Abraham  Kilbourn  presiding.  At  this  meeting,  Capt. 
John  Osborn  and  Mr.  Jedediah  Strong  were  appointed  Dele- 
gates to  the  Convention  referred  to. 

The  Legislature  about  this  time,  made  special  enactments 
providing  for  arming  and  disciplining  the  militia — ivhy,  they 
were  scarcely  themselves  aware.  Many  of  our  most  efficient 
officers  of  the  French  War  now  received  advance  commissions 
in  the  colonial  regiments.  These  officers,  by  long  service  with 
the  commanders  in  the  Standing  Army  of  England,  had  learn- 
ed whatever  was  worth  knowing  in  their  system  of  military 
tactics,  while  they  had  failed  to  learn  their  inefficiency,  pro- 
crastination, and  punctilious  regard  for  etiquette.  They  were 
now  destined  to  turn  the  knowledge,  thus  acquired,  to  good 
account.  Among  those  thus  appointed,  were,  Oliver  "Wolcott, 
who  had  commanded  a  company  in  the  northern  army  in  1748, 
and  was  now  commissioned  as  Colonel ;  and  Ebenezer  Gay, 
a  resident  of  Sharon  but  a  native  of  this  town,  who  was  raised 
to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel. 

In  the  mean  time,  matters  of  local  interest  and  importance 
were   not  neglected.      The  lands  were  laid  out  to  the  sev- 
eral proprietors,  bridges  were  built,  and  bylaws  were  passed. 
I  have  suggested  that  the  establishment  of  Litchfield  as  the 
county  seat,  was  an  important  event  in  the  history  of  the  town. 
ral  wealthy  and  prominent  gentlemen  from  a  distance, 
soon  after  this  event,  settled  in  this  village — among  whom  I 
may  mention  Elisha  Sheldon,  Lynde  Lord,  and  Reynold  Mar- 
vin. Esquires,  all  from  Lyme,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  colony. 
Some  of  the  finest  mansions  still  standing  on  the  Hill,  were 
erected  between  1752  and  1760,  inclusive.     The  records  give 
indications  of  the  "  march  of  improvement "  in  other  respects. 
Liberty  was  granted  to  Joseph  Pickett  "  to  set  up  a  Barber's 
•  anywhere  in  the  Highway  except  on  the  Meeting  House 
Green."     Lieutenant  Stephen  Smith,  who  had  figured  in  the 
u  late  war,"  and  was  subsequently  in  the  service  at  the  North, 
received  permission  to  set  up  a  Malt  House  and  Distillery. 
The  first  Court  House  was  built  on  the  public  square,  a  little 


00  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

east  of  the  Meeting-House  ;  but  the  town  passed  a  vote  forbid- 
ding the  erection  of  a  Jail  and  County  House  on  the  square 
— offering,  however,  a  piece  of  land  for  that  purpose  in  any 
other  part  of  the  town  which  might  be  selected. 

In  December,  1740,  Messrs.  Samuel  Culver,  Joseph  Bird, 
Ebenezer  Beebe  and  Moses  Stoddard,  were  appointed  "  to  view 
and  lay  out  a  suitable  Highway  through  the  north-westerly 
part  of  Litchfield  leading  to  Cornwall ;"  the  same  committee 
were  also  directed  to  lay  out  a  road  to  the  east  part  of  Goshen 
— probably  the  highway  which  now  connects  with  Goshen 
East  Street.  The  principal  highways  leading  to  New  Milford, 
Goshen,  Woodbury  and  Harwinton,  were  all  laid  out  previous 
to  1750. 

In  1752,  the  Rev.  Timothy  Collins  was  dismissed  from  the 
pastoral  office  in  this  town ;  and  on  the  4th  of  July  1753,  Mr. 
Champion  was  settled  in  his  stead.  In  1762,  a  new  meeting- 
house was  erected  on  the  Green,  which  stood  sixty-seven  years, 
when  it  was  superceded  by  the  present  church-edifice  of  the 
First  Society.  4     ■ 


-  \ 


,/ 


; 


s£ 


'T'T 


T^-^^A^ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   REVOLUTIONARY    ERA. 

The  revolutionary  spirit  early  began  to  manifest  itself  in 
Litchfield.  A  series  of  oppressive  and  retaliatory  measures  on 
the  part  of  the  British  Parliament,  served  to  test,  to  the  fullest 
extent,  the  patience  and  patriotism  of  the  people.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  the  harbor  of  Boston, 
that  Town  was  selected  as  a  special  object  of  ministerial  ven- 
geance ;  which,  as  a  natural  result,  served  to  elicit  the 
sympathy  and  co-operation  of  the  friends  of  freedom  through- 
out the  country.  The  subjoined  document  evinces  the  spirit 
of  the  voters  of  this  town  on  the  occasion,  and  needs  no  ex- 
planation, except  that  Oliver  Wolcott,  Esq.,  was  Moderator  of 
the  meeting  from  which  it  emanated : 

"  The  Inhabitants  of  Litchfield,  in  legal  Town  Meeting  as- 
sembled, on  the  17th  day  of  August,  A.  D.  1774,  taking  into 
consideration  the  Distress  to  which  the  Poor  of  the  Town  of 
"Boston  may  likely  be  reduced  by  the  operation  of  an  Act  of  the 
British  Parliament  for  Blocking  up  their  Port,  and  deeply 
commiserating  the  unhappiness  of  a  brave  and  loyal  People, 
who  are  thus  eminently  suffering  in  a  General  Cause,  for  vin- 
dicating what  every  virtuous  American  considers  an  essential 
Right  of  this  Country,  think  it  is  their  indispensable  Duty  to 
afford  their  unhappy  distressed  brethren  of  said  Town  of  Bos- 
ton, all  reasonable  Aid  and  Support.  And  this  they  are  the 
more  readily  induced  to  do,  not  only  as  the  Inhabitants  of 
said  Town  are  thus  severely  condemned  for  their  reluctance  to 
submit  to  an  arbitrary,  an  unconsented  to,  and  consequent- 
ly unconstitutional  Taxation,  but  the  whole  of  the  great  and 
loyal  Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  have  been  condemned 

VI 


90  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

unheard,  in  the  loss  of  their  Charter  Privileges,  by  the  hereto- 
fore unknown  and  unheard  of  exertions  of  Parliamentary 
Power,  which  they  conceive  is  a  Power  claimed  and  exercised 
in  such  a  manner  as  cannot  fail  of  striking  every  unprejudiced 
mind  with  Horror  and  Amazement,  as  being  subversive  of  all 
those  inherent,  essential  and  constitutional  Rights  and  Privi- 
leges which  the  good  people  of  this  Colony  have  ever  held  sa- 
cred, and  even  dearer  than  Life  itself,  nor  ever  can  wish  to 
survive  ;  not  only  every  idea  of  Property,  but  every  emolument 
of  civil  life,  being  thereby  rendered  precarious  and  uncertain. 

"  In  full  confidence,  therefore,  that  no  Degree  of  Evil  thus 
inflicted  on  said  Town  and  Province,  will  ever  induce  them  to 
give  up  or  betray  their  own  and  the  American  Constitutional 
Rights  and  Privileges,  especially  as  they  cannot  but  entertain 
the  most  pleasing  Expectations  that  the  Committees  of  the 
several  North  American  Provinces,  who  are  soon  to  meet  at 
Philadelphia,  will  in  their  wisdom  be  able  to  point  out  a  Meth- 
od of  Conduct  effectual  for  obtaining  Redress  of  their  grievan- 
ces— a  Method  to  which  (when  once  agreed  upon  by  said  Com- 
mittee) this  Town  will  look  upon  it  their  duty  strictly  to  attend. 
And  in  the  mean  time,  earnestly  recommend  that  subscriptions 
be  forthwith  opened  in  this  Toivn,  under  the  care  of  Reuben 
Smith,  Esq.,  Capt.  Lynde  Lord,  and  Mr.  William  Stanton,  who 
are  hereby  appointed  a  Committee  to  receive  and  forward  to 
the  Selectmen  of  Boston,  for  the  use  of  the  Poor  in  that  place, 
all  such  Donations  as  shall  be  thereupon  made  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  and  also  to  correspond  with  the  Committee  of  Corres- 
pondence there  or  elsewhere,  as  there  may  be  occasion. 

"We  also  take  this  opportunity  publicly  to  return  our  thanks 
to  the  members  of  the  Honorable  House  of  Representatives  of 
this  Colony,  for  their  patriotic  and  loyal  Resolutions,  passed 
and  published  in  the  last  Assembly  on  the  occasion,  and  order 
them  to  be  entered  at  large  on  the  Public  Records  of  this  Town, 
that  succeeding  ages  may  be  faithfully  furnished  with  authen- 
tic Credentials  of  our  inflexible  attachment  to  those  inestima- 
ble Privileges  which  we  and  every  honest  American  glory  in 
esteeming  our  unalienable  Birthright  and  Inheritance." 


COMMITTEES   OF   INSPECTION.  91 

At  the  annual  Town  Meeting,  held  December  6, 1774,  it  was 
Voted,  That  the  Honorable  Oliver  Wolcott,  Esq.,  and  Messrs. 
Jedediah  Strong,  Jacob  Woodruff,  John  Marsh,  John  Osborn, 
Jehiel  Parmelee,  Abraham  Bradley,  Seth  Bird,  Archibald  Mc- 
Neile,  Abraham  Kilbourn,  Nathan  Garnsey,  James  Morris  and 
Ebenezer  Benton,  be  a  Committee  for  the  Purposes  mentioned 
in  the  Eleventh  Article  of  the  Association  Agreement  of  the 
Grand  Continental  Congress  in  Philadelphia,  5th  of  September 
last,  and  approved,  adopted  and  recommended  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  this  Colony  at  their  session  in  October  last." 

The  "  Eleventh  Article  of  the  Association  Agreement,"  here 
referred  to,  provides  for  the  appointment  of  "  Committees  of 
Inspection"  in  each  city  and  town,  "  whose  business  it  shall  be 
attentively  to  observe  the  conduct  of  all  persons  touching  this 
Association  ;  and  when  it  shall  be  made  to  appear  that  any 
person  has  violated  its  articles,  they  are  to  cause  their  names 
to  be  published  in  the  Gazette,  to  the  end  that  all  such  foes  to 
the  Rights  of  British  America  may  be  publicly  known  and 
universally  contemned  as  the  enemies  of  American  Liberty, 
and  thenceforth  we  break  off  all  dealings  with  him  or  her." 
Committees  of  Inspection  were  also  appointed  at  the  annual 
Town  Meeting  in  1775  and  1776.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
the  following  persons  were  appointed,  viz.,  Messrs.  Reuben 
Smith,  Lynde  Lord,  Andrew  Adams,  Archibald  McNeile,  Jr., 
Moses  Sanford,  Tapping  Reeve,  Jonathan  Mason,  Caleb  Gibbs, 
Nathaniel  Woodruff,  William  Stanton  and  Nathaniel  Goodwin. 

The  celebrated  Aaron  Burr,  (afterwards  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States,)  became  intimately  associated  with  Litch- 
field during  this  period.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College 
in  October,  1772,  and  in  the  following  June,  his  only  sister, 
Sarah  Burr,  became  the  wife  of  Tapping  Reeve,  Esq.,  of  this 
town.  "  In  May,  1774,"  says  his  biographer,  (Davis  i,  46,) 
"  he  left  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bellamy's,  and  went  to  the  house  of  his 
brother-in-law,  Tapping  Reeve,  where  his  time  was  occupied 
in  reading,  principally  history,  but  especially  those  portions  of 
it  which  related  to  wars,  battles  and  seiges,  which  tended  to 
inflame  his  natural  military  ardor.  The  absorbing  topics  of 
taxation  and  the  rights  of  the  people  were  agitating  the  then 


92  HIBTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

British  Colonies  from  one  extreme  to  the  other.  These  sub- 
jects, therefore,  could  not  pass  unnoticecrby  a  youth  of  the 
the  enquiring  mind  and  ardent  feelings  of  Burr.  Constitu- 
tional law,  and  the  relative  rights  of  the  crown  and  the  colo- 
nists, were  examined  with  all  the  accumen  which  he  possessed, 
and  he  became  a  whig  from  reflection  and  conviction,  as  well 
as  from  feeling."  Burr  remained  in  Litchfield  on  this  occa- 
sion something  over  a  year.  The  letters  written  by  him  while 
here,  contain  frequent  allusions  to  local  matters,  and  to  indi- 
viduals (especially  the  young  ladies)  residing  in  the  place.  In 
a  communication  to  Matthias  Ogden  (dated  at  Litchfield,  Au- 
gust 17,  1774,)  he  says — "Before  I  proceed  further,  let  me 
tell  you  that,  a  few  days  ago,  a  mob  of  several  hundred  per- 
sons gathered  at  Barrington,  and  tore  down  the  house  of  a  man 
who  was  suspected  of  being  unfriendly  to  the  liberties  of  the 
people ;  broke  up  the  court  then  sitting  at  that  place,  &c.  As 
many  of  the  rioters  belonged  to  this  colony,  and  the  Supreme 
Court  was  then  sitting  at  this  place,  the  Sheriff  was  immedi- 
ately despatched  to  apprehend  the  ring-leaders.  He  returned 
yesterday  with  eight  prisoners,  who  were  taken  without  resis- 
tance. But  this  minute,  there  are  entering  the  town  on  horse- 
back, with  great  regularity,  about  fifty  men,  armed  each  with 
a  white  club ;  and  I  observe  others  continually  dropping  in. 
I  shall  here  leave  a  blank,  to  give  you  (perhaps  in  heroics,)  a 
few  sketches  of  my  unexampled  valor,  should  they  proceed  to 
hostilities ;  and,  should  they  not,  I  can  tell  you  what  I  would 
have  done."  After  the  "  blank,"  the  young  hero  adds — "  The 
above-mentioned  sneaks  all  gave  bonds  for  their  appearance, 
to  stand  a  trial  at  the  next  court,  for  committing  a  riot." 

While  Burr  remained  at  the  house  of  Judge  Reeve,  he  was 
startled  by  the  news  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington,  which  took 
place  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775.  Immediately  thereafter,  he 
addressed  a  letter  to  his  friend  Ogden,  urging  him  to  come  to 
Litchfield  and  make  arrangements  with  him  for  joining  the 
standard  of  their  country.  The  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill  soon 
followed — (June  16th.)  As  Ogden  could  not  come  at  once  to 
Litchfield,  Burr  started  for  Elizabethtown,  New  Jersey,  to 
assist  his  friend  in  arranging  for  a  speedy  trip  to  Cambridge, 


AARON    BURR.  (J3 

where  the  American  army  was  then  encamped.  In  July,  they 
reached  Cambridge  ;  and  in  September,  Burr  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate soldier  in  Arnold's  expedition  through  the  wilderness  to 
Quebec.  It  may  be  added,  that  Litchfield  was  Colonel  Burr's 
recognized  home  for  some  half  dozen  years.* 

On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  May,  1775,  Colonel  Ethan 
Allen,  a  native  of  Litchfield,  at  the  head  of  his  brave  Green 
Mountain  Boys,  surprized  and  captured  the  Fortress  of  Ticon- 
deroga.  Several  of  this  little  band  of  heroes  were  born  and 
bred  in  this  vicinity.  Lieutenant  Crampton,  who  entered  the 
fort  by  the  side  of  Allen,  was  also  a  native  of  this  town,  and 
had  resided  here  during  a  large  part  of  his  life.  On  this  occa- 
sion was  captured  the  first  British  flag  that  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Americans  in  the  revolutionary  contest!  The  magni- 
tude and  importance  of  this  exploit  will  be  better  understood, 
when  considered  in  connection  with  the  vast  amount  of  time, 
and  treasure,  and  blood,  which  the  fortress  had  cost  the  Brit- 
ish Government.  The  day  following  the  capture  of  Ticonder- 
oga,  the  garrison  at  Crown  Point,  with  all  its  military  stores, 
were  surrendered  to  Colonel  Warner,  a  native  of  Roxbury, 
in  this  County. 

*  On  the  27th  of  January,  1776,  Judge  Reeve  wrote  to  Burr  thus — "  Amid  the  la- 
mentations for  the  loss  of  a  brave,  enterprising  General,  [Montgomery,]  your  escape 
from  such  imminent  danger,  to  which  you  have  been  exposed,  has  afforded  us  the 
greatest  satisfaction.  The  news  of  the  unfortunate  attack  upon  Quebec  arrived 
among  us  on  the  13th  of  this  month.  I  concealed  it  from  your  sister  until  the  IStli, 
when  she  found  it  out  ;  but,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  I  received  letters  from  Albany 
acquainting  me  that  you  were  in  safety,  and  had  gained  great  honor  by  your  intrepid 
conduct.  *  *  It  was  happy  for  us  that  we  did  not  know  you  were  an  aid-de-camp 
until  we  heard  of  your  welfare  ;  for  we  heard  that  Montgomery  and  his  aids  were 
killed,  without  knowing  who  his  aids  were.  Your  sister  enjoys  a  middling  state  of 
health.  She  has  many  anxious  hours  on  your  account  ;  but  she  tells  me  that,  as  she 
believes  yon  may  serve  the  country  in  the  business  in  which  you  are  now  employed, 
she  is  contented  that  you  should  remain  in  the  army.  It  must  bean  exalted  public 
spirit,  that  could  produce  such  an  effect  upon  asister  as  affectionate  as  yours." 

For  several  months  in  1781,  Mrs.  Theodocia  Provost  (the  dashing  young  widow  of 
Colonel  Provost,  of  the  British  Army,)  was  a  resident  of  Litchfield  ;  and  a  few  of 
her  letters  written  from  this  place  are  preserved  in  Davis's  Life  of  Burr,  vol.  i,  pp. 
224—227.     She  became  the  wife  of  Burr,  July  2,  1782. 

Aaron  Burr  became  aid  de-camp  to  General  Washington,  Attorney  General  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  V.  S.  Senator,  and,  in  1801,  was  a  candidate  with  Jefferson  for  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States — the  two  receiving  an  equal  number  of  electoral  votes. 
After  an  exciting  contest  of  several  days  in  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives,  Jef 
ferson  was  chosen  President,  aud  Burr  Vice  President. 


94  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Iii  January,  1776,  Captain  Bczaleel  Beebe,  of  Litchfield, 
received  orders  to  enlist  a  company  for  the  defense  of  New 
York.  The  tidings  spread  rapidly  throughout  the  town,  and 
awakened  anew  the  enthusiasm  of  the  whigs.  A  veteran  who 
died  within  the  last  few  years,  stated  that  when  the  intelli- 
gence reached  him,  he  started  on  a  run  for  the  Captain's  head- 
quarters, fearing  the  roll  would  be  full  before  he  could  reach 
there.  Captain  Beebe's  orders  reached  him  on  a  Sunday,  and 
by  the  following  Saturday,  the  company  had  been  raised,  arm- 
ed, and  equipped,  and  were  on  their  march  toward  Fairfield. 
The  following  paper,  with  the  names  attached,  is  inserted  here 
for  preservation : 

"  We,  the  Subscribers,  being  convinced  of  the  Necessity  of  a  body 
of  Forces  to  defeat  certain  Wicked  Purposes  formed  by  the  instru- 
ments of  Ministerial  Tyranny,  do  solemnly  engage  ourselves  and  enlist 
as  Private  Soldiers,  in  a  Regiment  to  be  Commanded  by  Colonel  An- 
drew Ward,  Jr.,  under  the  command  of  Major  General  Lee,  for 
the  Term  of  Eight  Weeks  at  the  utmost  from  the  Day  we  March 
from  Fairfield,  which  is  the  place  of  Rendezvous ;  the  Honorable 
Major  General  Lee  having  given  his  Word  and  Honor  that  we  shall 
not  be  Detained  a  single  Day  after  said  Term.  Dated  at  Litchfield, 
21st  day  of  January,  1776." 

Lieut.  Jonathan  Mason,  Sergt.  Benjamin  Bissell, 

Briant  Stoddard,  Elihu  Harrison, 

James  Woodruff,  Roger  N.  Whittlesey, 

Oliver  Woodruff,  Charles  Woodruff,  Jr., 

Phineas  Goodwin,  Joseph  Sanford, 

Zebulon  Bissell,  Stephen  Brown, 

Benjamin  Taylor,  William  Patterson, 

Moses  Taylor,  John  Lyman, 

Frederick  Stanley,  Obed  Stoddard, 

James  Crampton,  T.  Weed, 

Caleb  Munson,  George  Dear, 

Abraham  Wadhams,  Jacob  Gaylord, 

Martin  Nash,  Elihu  Grant, 

Oliver  Griswold,  Abram  Beach, 

Zadock  Gibbs,  Jr.  Ichabod  Tuttle, 

Josiah  Bartholomew,  Jr.  Chauncey  Beach, 

Jesse  Stanley,  George  Dear,  Jr. 

Elisha  Mayo,  Adino  Hale, 

Nathaniel  Newell,  Allen  Lucas, 


REVOLUTIONARY   SOLDIERS.  95 

Luman  Bishop,  William  Starr, 

Asaph  Benham,  Heher  Gilbert,  Jr. 

Joseph  Finney,  Zebulon  Palmer, 

Zebedee  Sturtevant,  Joseph  Peters, 

Martin  Curtiss,  Truman  Gilbert, 

Levi  Swan.  Heman  Brown, 

Joel  Barnes,  Luther  Comstock, 

Peleg  Holmes,  Daniel  Swan. 
Alexander  Sackett, 

Those  who  have  a  knowledge  of  the  leading  men  of  Litch. 
field  county  from  forty  to  seventy  years  ago,  will  recognize  in 
the  above  list  the  names  of  many  of  her  most  prominent  and 
influential  citizens — men  of  wealth  and  enterprize,  who, 
though  surrounded  by  the  endearments  of  domestic  life,  vol- 
untarily enlisted  as  private  soldiers  in  that  dangers  expedition. 
The  roll  as  here  given  is  not  complete.  About  two-thirds  of 
the  persons  named  in  the  list  belonged  to  this  town ;  the  re- 
mainder were  from  Goshen,  Torrington  and  Warren.  They 
were  all  enlisted  from  the  21st  to  the  25th  of  January,  1776. 
The  names  of  a  few  additional  members  of  this  company  may 
be  gleaned  from  the  following  Appraisal : 

"  Litchfield,  26th  January,  1776. 

"  We,  being  requested  to  apprise  the  Arms  belonging  to  Capt.  Bez- 

aleel  Beebe's  Company,  in  Col.  Andrew  Ward's  Regiment,  going  on 

an  expedition  to  New  York  under  the  command  of  General  Charles 

Lee — we  accordingly  apprized  the  same,  being  first  duly  sworn,  viz., 

Elihu   Harrison's    Gun,   Bayonet  and  Cartridge  Box,  in  his  own 

hands.     [Figures  omitted.~\ 
Roger  N.  Whittlesey's  Gun  in  the  hands  of  Briant  Stoddard. 
Joseph  Sanford's  Gun,  Bayonet  and  Belt  in  his  own  hands. 
Nathaniel  Allen's  Gun,  Bayonet  and  Belt  in  his  own  hands. 
Obed  Stoddard's  Gun,  Bayonet,  Cartridge  box  and  belt. 
Joshua  Smith's  Gun  in  his  own  hands. 
Zebulon  Bissell's  Gun  in  his  own  hands. 
James  Woodruff's  Gun  carried  by  Stephen  Brown. 
Phineas  Goodwin's  Gun,  bayonet  and  belt. 
Whiting  Stanley's  Gun  carried  by  James  Crampton. 
Oliver  Woodruff's  Gun  carried  by  himself. 
Hezekiah  Agard's  Gun  carried  by  John  Lyman. 
Jedediah  Strong's  Gun,  bayonet  and  belt  carried  by  Wm  Patterson. 
Lieut.  Jonathan  Mason's  Cartridge  box. 
Samuel  Canfield's  Gun  carried  by  himself. 
Noah  Garnsey's  Gun  carried  by  T.  Weed. 


96 


HISTORY   OP  LITCHFIELD. 


Sergt.  Benjamin  Bissell's  Gun  and  Bayonet  carried  by  himself. 

Asa  Osborn's  Gun  and  Cartridge  box  carried  by  himself. 

Jedediah  Strong's  Gun  carried  by  Benjamin  Taylor. 

Jedediah  Strong's  Gun  carried  by  Frederick  Stanley. 

Reuben  Smith,  Esq's,  Gun,   Bayonet,  Case  and  Belt,  carried  by 

Capt.  Beebe. 

Capt  John  Osborn's  Gun  carried  by  Moses  Taylor. 

Abraham  Bradley,  )   . 

n,  ri  I  Appraisers  on 

Ihojias  Catlin,         >•         q  t} 

Obed  Stodder,  ) 
In  May,  1776,  a  regiment  was  ordered  to  be  raised  for  the 
defense  of  the  State,  "  to  be  subject  to  join  the  continental 
army,  if  so  ordered  by  the  Governor."  Captain  Beebe  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  one  of  the  companies  of  this 
regiment,  with  Jesse  Cook  for  1st  lieutenant,  and  James  Wat- 
son for  2d  lieutenant.  Lieut.  Watson  was  soon  transferred  to 
another  corps,  and  John  Smith,  of  Litchfield,  was  commission- 
ed in  his  place.  The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  officers 
and  soldiers  of  this  company  : 


Bezaleel  Beebe,  Captain, 

James  Beach, 

Jesse  Cook,  Lieutenant, 

Asa  Brooks, 

John  Smith,          do. 

Daniel  Benedict, 

Wait  Beach,  Ensign, 

Samuel  Baldwin, 

Levi  Peck,       Sergeant, 

Elisha  Brownson, 

Cotton  Mather,         do. 

Benjamin  Bissell, 

Heber  Stone,            do. 

Daniel  Barns, 

Solomon  Goodwin,  do. 

Ebenezer  Bacon, 

Samuel  Cole,       Corporal, 

Noah  Beach, 

Ezekiel  Bissell,        do. 

Elisha  Bissell, 

Elijah  Loomis,         do. 

Frederick  Bigelow, 

David  Hall,              do. 

Hezekiah  Bissell, 

Joel  Taylor,    Drummer, 

James  Davis, 

Epaphras  Wadsworth,  Fifer, 

Friend  Dickinson, 

Nathaniel  Allen, 

Jesse  Dickinson, 

Cyrenius  Austin, 

Solomon  Dickinson, 

Enos  Austin, 

Ebenezer  Dimon, 

Joseph  Austin, 

Gershom  Fay, 

Andrew  Austin, 

Remembrance  Filley, 

Elihu  Beach, 

Joel  Frost, 

Barniaa  Beach, 

John  German, 

Zebulon  Bissell, 

Phineas  Goodwin, 

REVOLUTIONARY   SOLDIERS. 


97 


Beriah  Birge, 
James  Birge, 
Noadiah  Bancroft, 
Ithamar  Gibbs, 
Moore  Gibb>, 
Samuel  Gleason, 
Isaac  Hosford, 
Abraham  Haskins, 
Amos  Johnson, 
Charles  Kilbourn, 
Henry  Hdntire, 
Thomas  Mason, 
Oliver  Marshall, 
Timothy  Marsh, 
Alexander  McNiel, 
Ebenezer  Landon, 
Remembrance  Loomis, 
James  Little, 
John  Lyman, 
Noah  North, 
David  Olmsted, 
Ethan  Osborn, 
John  Parmeley, 


Joseph  Goodwin, 
Benjamin  Gibbs, 
Gershom  Gibbs, 
Henry  Plumb, 
Eliphaz  Parsons, 
Joseph  Sanford, 
Frederick  Stanley, 
Timothy  Stanley, 
Jared  Stewart, 
Joseph  Spencer, 
Daniel  Smith, 
Aaron  Stoddard, 
Ira  Stone, 
John  Strong, 
Peleg  Sweet, 
Stephen  Taylor, 
Joseph  Taylor, 
Samuel  Vaill, 
Jeremiah  Weed, 
John  Weed, 
Gideon  Wilcoxson, 
John  Whiting, 
Oliver  Woodruff, 


Solomon  Parmeley, 

These  names  are  copied  from  the  account-book  and  billet- 
roll  preserved  among  the  papers  of  Col.  Beebe.  From  various 
accounts  and  memoranda  found  in  these  papers,  we  are  able 
to  gather  certain  facts  in  the  history  of  some  of  these  soldiers. 
Thus — "  August  9,  To  cash  paid  for  coffin  for  Ira  Stone ;" 
Sept.  7,  "  Lieut.  John  Smith  was  discharged  from  the  army 
in  New  York  ;"  "  John  German  was  dismissed  from  my  com- 
pany by  order  of  a  General  Court  Martial,  July  9,  1776  ;" 
"  Aug.  9,  James  Beach  died  about  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;" 
u  Sept.  the  5th,  10  o'clock  at  night,  Samuel  Gleason  died ;" 
in  the  account  with  Joel  Taylor — "Paid  one  dollar  to  Zebulon 
Taylor  to  deliver  to  the  mother  of  the  above  Joel  Taylor,  de- 
ceased, it  being  cash  that  was  with  him  when  he  died ;"  "  Sept. 
27,  1777,  Received  of  Capt.  Beebe  22  shillings  for  mileage 
from  Philadelphia  to  Litchfield.  (Signed,)  Abraham  Haskins." 

13 


98  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

From  the  account  of  Gershom  Gibbs — "  Received  of  Capt. 
Beebe  three  dollars  that  belonged  to  my  husband  and  son,  which 
was  part  of  the  money  sent  to  them  whilst  prisoners  in  New 
York.  (Signed,)  Tabitha  Gibbs."  From  the  account  with 
Nathaniel  Allen—"  Sept  27,  1777,  To  cash  left  with  Joseph 
Ao-ard  to  be  paid  to  Mrs.  Allen,  that  was  left  with  me  when 
Mr.  Allen  died'''  From  the  account  with  Phineas  Goodwin — 
"  To  back  rations  16  days  at  Fort  Washington,"  &c.  The 
fate  of  some  of  these  individuals,  together  with  that  of  many- 
others  belonging  to  this  company,  will  be  more  fully  explained 
in  the  narrative  which  follows. 

About  the  1st  of  November,  1776,  thirty-six  picked  men,  (all 
of  whose  names  are  given  in  the  preceding  roll,)  were  placed 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Beebe  and  sent  to  Fort  Washing- 
ton to  aid  in  its  defense.     This  post,  together  with  Fort  Lee 
on  the  Jersey  shore,  commanded  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson, 
and  was  hence  regarded  by  the  enemy  as  a  tempting  prize. 
In  anticipation  of  an  attack,  the  works  had  been  strengthened 
and  reinforced.     At  the  critical  time,  the  Fort  and  Harlem 
Heights  were  manned  by  two  Pennsylvania  Regiments  com- 
manded by  Colonels  Magraw  and  Shea,Rawlin's  Riflemen  from 
Maryland,  some  of  the  militia  of  the  flying  camp,  and  a  few 
companies  detailed  from  the  Connecticut  Regiments.     On  the 
15th  of  November,  Sir  William  Howe  summoned  Colonel  Ma- 
graw, (who  had  the  chief  command  of  the  garrison,)  to  sur- 
render.    That  brave  officer,  acting  under  the  immediate  ad- 
vice of  Generals   Putnam    and  Greene,  responded,  that  he 
would  defend  himself  to  the  last  extremity.     On  the  morning 
of  the  16th  the  attack  was  commenced  at  four  different  points 
nearly  at  the  same  moment.     The  Hessians  under  Knyphau- 
sen  assaulted  the  south  side ;  .the  English  Light  Infantry,  two 
battalions  of  Guards,  the  33d  Regiment,  and  a  body  of  Grena- 
diers, commanded  by  General  Matthews  and  Lord  Cornwallis, 
attacked  the  east  side  ;  on  the  south,  a  feint  was  attempted  by 
Colonel  Sterling  with  the  42d  Regiment ;  while  Lord  Percy, 
with  a  very  strong  corps,  directed  the  assault  upon  the  west- 
ern flank  of  the  fortress.     The  assailants  were  provided  with 
excellent  trains  of  artillery,  which  were  brought  to  bear  with 


FORT    WASHINGTON.  99 

effect.  The  attack  was  prosecuted  with  extraordinary  energy 
and  spirit,  and  the  Americans  continued  to  defend  themselves 
until  resistance  became  fruitless.  During  a  recess  in  the  figlit, 
the  garrison  was  again  summoned  to  surrender;  and,  after  a 
brief  consultation  with  the  officers,  Magraw  capitulated.  The 
entire  American  force,  amounting  to  two  thousand  six  hun- 
dred men,  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war.  During  the  seige, 
the  enemy  lost  about  twelve  hundred,  and  the  Americans 
about  four  hundred. 

Gorton,  the  historian,  informs  us  that  "while  the  enemy  were 
advancing  to  the  attack,  Generals  Washington,  Putnam  and 
Greene,  and  Colonel  Knox,  with  their  aids,  crossed  the  river 
and  approached  toward  the  Fort.  They  were  warned  of  their 
danger,  and,  after  much  persuasion,  were  induced  to  return. 
The  garrison,  however,  was  watched  with  intense  interest  by 
Washington,  who,  from  Fort  Lee,  could  view  several  parts  of 
the  attack ;  and  when  he  saw  his  men  bayoneted,  and  in  that 
way  killed  while  begging  for  quarter,  he  cried  with  the  tender- 
ness of  a  child,  denouncing  the  barbarity  that  was  practiced." 

The  terms  of  the  capitulation  were  regarded  as  liberal  and 
honorable  on  the  part  of  the  victors,  and  highly  favorable  to 
the  vanquished.  The  manner  in  which  those  terms  were  vio- 
lated, and  every  principle  of  humanity  set  at  naught,  by  the 
miscreants  into  whose  hands  the  unfortunate  prisoners  were 
placed,  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  revolutionary 
struggle.  Crowded,  with  hundreds  of  others,  into  the  Sugar- 
House  and  on  board  the  Prison-Ships,  without  air  or  water 
and  for  the  first  two  days  without  food,  contagion  and  death 
were  the  natural  consequences.  The  dysentery,  small-pox, 
and  other  terrible  diseases,  broke  out  among  them,  and  very 
few  of  the  whole  number  survived  the  terrible  ordeal.  On  the 
27th  of  December,  1776,  an  exchange  of  prisoners  took  place. 
Only  eleven  of  Captain  Beebe's  Company  were  able  to  sail  for 
Connecticut,  viz.,  Marsh,  Woodruff,  R.  Loomis,  B.  Beach,  N. 
Beach,  Marshall,  Brownson,Bissell,  Little,  Benedict  and  Mason. 
Six  of  these  died  on  their  way  home,  viz.,  Bissell,  Brownson,  B. 
Beach,  Marsh,  Marshall  and  Loomis.  The  remainder  of  those 
who  were  living  at  that  date,  being  too  ill  to  be  removed,  were 


100  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

left  behind — where  all  (except  Sergeant  Mather,)  died  within  a 
few  days,  most  of  them  with  the  small-pox.  Here  follow  the 
names  of  these  "  picked  men."  The  notes  prefixed,  appear  to 
have  been  added  by  Captain  Beebe  at  the  different  periods 
corresponding  with  the  dates  : 

tk  .1//  Account  of  the  Prisoners'  Names  and  Places  of  Confine- 
ment. 
Sergt.  Cotton  Mather — returned  home. 
Sergt.  David  Hall — died  of  the  small-pox  on  board  the  Gros- 

vener,  Dec.  11,  1776. 
Elijah  Loomis — died. 

Gershom  Gibbs — died  on  board  the  ship,  Dec.  29,  1776. 
Timothy  Stanley — died  on  board  the  ship,  Dec.  26,  1776. 
Amos  Johnson — died  Dec.  26,  1776. 
Timothy  Marsh — died  on  his  way  home. 
Barnias  Beach — died  on  his  way  home. 
Samuel  Vaill — died  on  board  the  Grosvener,  Dec.  27, 1776. 
Nathaniel  Allen — died  of  small-pox,  Jan.  1,  1777. 
Enos  Austin — died  of  the  small-pox,  Dec.  4,  1776,  in  the 

evening. 
Gideon  TVilcoxson — died. 
Thomas  Mason — reached  home. 
Alexander  McNiel — died. 

Daniel  Smith — died  in  New  York,  of  small-pox,  Jan.  1, 1777. 
Noah  Beach — reached  home. 
Daniel  Benedict — reached  home. 
Isaac  Gibbs — died  Jan.  15,  1777. 
Oliver  Marshall — died  on  his  way  home. 
Solomon  Parmely — went  on  board  the  ship,  and  I  fear  he  is 

drowned,  as  I  cannot  find  him. 
David  Olmsted — died  Jan.  4,  1777. 
Jared  Stuart — died  Jan.  26,  1777,  in  the  morning. 
John  Lyman — died  Jan  26,  1777. 
Elisha  Brownson — died  on  his  way  home. 

The  above  Prisoners  are  at  Livingston's  Sugar  House. 

Zebulon  Bissell — died  in  Woodbury,  on  his  way  home. 

Aaron  Stoddard — died  Jan.  12,  1777. 

John  Parmely — died  Jan.  15,  1777. 

Joel  Taylor— died  Jan.  9,  1777. 

James  Little — reached  home. 

Phineas  Goodwin — died  Jan.  5,  1777. 

[The  above  at  the  Church  called  the  North  Church. 


TREATMENT   OF   PRISONERS.  101 

Oliver  Woodruff — reached  home. 
Remembrance  Loomis — died  on  his  way  home. 
[  The  above  at  Bridewell. 

The  above  Prisoners  belong  to  Capt.  Beebe's  Company,  Col. 
Bradley's  Regiment. 

Corporal  Samuel  Cole,^  Were  either  killed  or  made 
Jeremiah  Weed,  1  their  escape  from  Fort  Wash- 
Joseph  Spencer,  j  ington,  on  the  16th  of  Novem- 
John  Whiting,               J  ber,  1776." 

Probably  no  similar  instance  of  mortality  occurred  during 
the  entire  war.  Only  six  survivors  out  of  a  company  of 
thirty-six  hale  and  hearty  young  men,  is  a  per-centage  of  loss 
rarely  reached  even  in  the  most  fatal  engagements.  But  few, 
if  any,  of  these  men  were  slain  in  battle.  They  died  misera- 
ble deaths,  from  cold,  hunger,  thirst,  suffocation,  disease,  and 
the  vilest  cruelty  from  those  to  whom  they  had  surrendered 
their  arms  on  a  solemn  promise  of  fair  and  honorable  treat- 
ment !  Well  might  Ethan  Allen  (a  professed  infidel,)  with 
clenched  teeth,  exclaim  to  Captain  Beebe,  as  he  did  on  one 
occasion — "  I  confess  my  faith  in  my  own  creed  is  shaken  ; 
there  ought  to  be  a  hell  for  such  infernal  scoundrels  as  that 
Lowrie  !" — referring  to  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  prisoners. 

Captain  Beebe,  in  consideration  of  his  office,  was  allowed 
the  limits  of  the  city  on  his  parol  of  honor,  but  was  compelled 
to  provide  himself  with  food,  lodging,  and  shelter.  He  was 
accustomed  to  visit  his  men  daily,  so  long  as  any  remained, 
and  did  whatever  he  was  allowed  to  do,  to  alleviate  their 
wretched  condition.  He  was  not  exchanged  with  the  other 
prisoners,  but  was  detained  within  the  "  limits  "  for  nearly  a 
year,  at  his  own  expense.  During  much  of  this  time,  Colonel 
Allen  was  held  in  New  York  as  a  prisoner  of  war  ;  and,  before 
the  remnant  of  the  Litchfield  soldiers  were  exchanged,  these 
two  gallant  officers  often  met  for  consultation. 

In  June,  1776,  the  General  Assembly  ordered  six  battalions 
to  be  raised  in  this  State  and  marched  directly  to  New  York, 
there  to  join  the  continental  army.  A  company  was  raised 
in  Litchfield  for  this  service,  of  which  Abraham  Bradley  was 
Captain,  Tilley  Blakesley,  1st  Lieutenant,  Thomas  Catlin,  2d 
Lieutenant,  and  James  Morris,  Jr.,  Ensign. 


102  THE    HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

Among  the  "  Wolcott  Papers  "  is  preserved  the  following 
Deposition  made  on  the  3d  of  May,  1777,  before  Andrew  Ad- 
ams, Esq.,  /.  P.,  by  Lieutenant  Thomas  Catlin,  of  this  town, 
(father  of  the  late  Dr.  Abel  Catlin,)  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
American  army  in  New  York  in  1776.  He  avers,  in  substance, 
"  That  he  was  taken  Prisoner  by  the  British  Troops  on  New 
York  Island,  September  15,  1776,  and  confined  with  a  great 
number  in  close  Gaol,  eleven  days ;  that  he  had  no  susten- 
ance for  forty-eight  hours  after  he  was  taken  ;  that  for  eleven 
whole  days  they  had  only  about  two  days'  allowance,  and  their 
pork  was  offensive  to  the  smell.  That  forty-two  were  confined 
in  one  house,  till  Fort  Washington  was  taken,  when  the  house 
was  crowded  with  other  Prisoners ;  after  which  they  were  in- 
formed they  should  have  two-thirds  allowance — which  consis- 
ted of  very  poor  Irish  Pork,  Bread  hard,  mouldy  and  wormy, 
made  of  canail  and  dregs  of  flax-seed.  The  British  Troops  had 
good  bread.  Brackish  water  was  given  to  the  Prisoners,  and 
he  had  seen  $1  50  given  for  a  common  pail  of  water.  Only 
between  three  and  four  pounds  of  Pork  was  given  three  men 
for  three  days.  That  for  near  three  months,  the  private  sol- 
diers were  confined  in  the  Churches,  and  in  one  were  eight 
hundred  and  fifty;  that  about  the  25th  of  December,  1776, 
he  and  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  others  were  put  on 
board  the  Glasgow  at  New  York  to  be  carried  to  Connecticut 
for  exchange.  They  were  on  board  eleven  days,  and  kept  on 
black,  coarse  broken  bread,  and  less  pork  than  before.  Twen- 
ty-eight died  during  these  eleven  days  !  They  were  treated 
with  great  cruelty,  and  had  no  fire  for  sick  or  well.  They 
were  crowded  between  decks,  and  many  died  through  hardship, 
ill  usage,  hunger  and  cold." 

This  is  another  specimen  of  the  treatment  of  our  prison- 
ers by  the  enemy.  It  is  a  source  of  gratification  to  every 
American  to  be  able  to  say,  that  British  prisoners  in  American 
hands,  in  the  same  contest,  were  treated  more  like  gentlemen 
than  like  brutes. 

"  Before  the  revolution,"  says  Mr.  Gibbs,  in  his  History  of 
the  Administrations  of  Washington  and  Adams,  "a  leaden 
equestrian  statue  of  George  III.  stood  in  the  Bowling  Green 


THE   LEADEN   STATUE.  103 

in  the  city  of  New  York.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
this  was  overthrown,  and,  lead  being  highly  valuable,  was  sent 
to  General  Wolcott's  at  Litchfield  for  safe  keeping  ;  where,  in 
process  of  time,  it  was  cut  up  and  run  into  bullets  by  his 
daughters  and  their  friends." 

In  a  paper  read  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  by 
the  author  above  quoted,  in  October,  1844,  he  gives  a  curious 
and  interesting  history  of  this  statue,  from  which  the  following 
extracts  are  made  : 

"Account  of  the  Statue  of  George  III.  formerly  standing 
on  the  Bowling  Green,  New  York. 

"  Most  of  the  members  are  probably  aware  that  an  Equestrian 
Statue  of  King  George  III.  stood  upon  the  Bowling  Green,  in  this 
city,  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  was  overthrown  soon  after  its  com- 
mencement. I  believe,  however,  that  its  subsequent  fate  has  never 
been  recorded,  and  having  in  my  possession  a  paper  giving  authentic 
information  on  the  subject,  I  have  supposed  that  the  royal  effigy 
might  be  worth  a  brief  obituary. 

Holt's  (New  York)  Gazette,  as  quoted  by  Mr.  Dunlap,  gives  the 
following  notice  of  its  erection  : 

'  August  21st,  1770,  being  the  birth-day  of  Prince  Frederick,  the 
father  of  George  III.,  an  elegant  Equestrian  Statue  of  his  present 
Majesty,  George  III.  was  erected  in  the  Bowling  Green,  near  Fort 
George.  On  this  occasion  the  members  of  his  Majesty's  Council,  the 
City  Corporation,  tbe  Corporation  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Corporation  of  the  Marine  Society,  and  most  of  the  gentlemen  of  the 
City  and  Army,  waited  on  his  Honor,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  Col- 
den,  in  the  Fort,  at  his  request ;  when  his  Majesty's  and  other  loyal 
healths  were  drunk  under  a  discharge  of  thirty-two  pieces  of  cannon, 
from  the  Battery,  accompanied  with  a  band  of  music.  This  beautiful 
Statue  is  made  of  metal  [Dunlap  says,  by  way  of  parenthesis,  '  the 
writer  did  not  like  to  say  what  metal  represented  his  royal  majesty, 
the  best  of  kings — it  was  lead,,~]  being  the  first  equestrian  one  of  his 
present  Majesty,  and  is  the  workmanship  of  that  celebrated  statuary, 
Mr.  Wilton  of  London.' 

Symptoms  of  disloyalty,  betokening  revolution  I  suppose,  soon  man- 
ifested themselves  in  the  rude  treatment  of  the  effigy,  for  on  the  6th 
or  February,  1773.  an  act  was  passed  '  to  prevent  the  defacing  of 
statues  which  are  erected  in  the  city  of  New  York.' 

Upon  the  above  account  Mr.  Dunlap  observes — '  This  statue  stood 
till  sometime  in  177G.  I  saw  it  in  1775.  In  1776  it  was  thrown 
down,  and  tradition  says  converted  into  bullets  to  resist  his  gracious 
majesty's  soldiers  when  sent  to  enforce  the  doctrine  of  '  the  sovereign- 
ty of  the  British  Parliament  over  the  Colonies  in  all  cases  whatsoever' 
— the  doctrine  of  Mr.  Pitt,  Lord  Chatham,  which  he  died  in  an  effort 
to  enforce.     The  pedestal  stood  until  long  after  the  Revolution.     No 


104  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

fragment  of  the  horse  or  his  rider  was  ever  seen  after  its  overthrow, 
and  so  completely  had  the  memory  of  the  event  been  lost,  that  I  have 
never  found  a  person  who  could  tell  me  on  what  occasion  it  was  or- 
dered, or  when  placed  in  the  Bowling  Green.' 

Some  cotemporaiy  notices  of  the  destruction  of  this  effigy  have 
been  pointed  out  to  me,  which  I  will  cite.  The  first  is  from  a  book 
of  general  orders  issued  by  Washington,  the  original  of  which  is  in 
the  possession  of  this  Society.     It  is  as  follows  : 

'July  10. — Though  the  General  doubts  not  the  persons  who  pulled 
down  and  mutilated  the  statue  in  Broadway  last  night,  acted  in  the 
public  cause,  yet  it  has  so  much  the  appearance  of  riot  and  want  of 
order  in  the  army,  that  he  disapproves  of  the  manner,  and  directs  that 
in  future  these  things  shall  be  avoided  by  the  soldiery  and  left  to  be 
executed  by  proper  authority.' 

The  next  is  in  a  letter  from  Ehenezer  Hazard  to  General  Gates, 
dated  July  12th,  1776,  which  will  be  found  among  the  Gates  Papers, 
and  in  the  Society's  Collection — and  is  as  follows: 

'The  King  of  England's  arms  have  been  burned  in  Philadelphia, 
and  his  statue  here  has  been  pulled  down  to  make  musket  balls  of, 
so  that  his  troops  will  probably  have  melted  majesty  fired  at  them.' 

Another  is  in  a  letter  from  New  York,  of  July  11,  1776,  published 
in  the  New  Hampshire  Gazette  of  the  27th — 

'  Last  Monday  evening,  the  Equestrian  Statue  of  George  III.,  with 
tory  pride  and  folly  raised  in  the  year  1770,  was,  by  the  Sons  of 
Freedom,  laid  prostrate  in  the  dust — the  just  desert  of  an  ungrateful 
tyrant.  The  lead  wherewith  this  monument  is  made,  is  to  be  run 
into  bullets,  to  assimulate  with  the  brains  of  our  infatuated  adversa- 
ries who,  to  gain  a  peppercorn,  have  lost  an  empire.  A  gentleman 
who  was  present  at  the  ominous  fall  of  his  leaden  majesty,  looking 
back  to  the  original's  hopeful  beginning,  pertinently  exclaimed  in  the 
language  of  the  angel  to  Lucifer — '  If  thou  be'est  he,  but  ah  how 
fallen  !  how  changed  !'  ' 

Mr.  Stephens*  (Incidents  of  Travel  in  Russia,  etc.,  vol.  ii,  p.  23,) 
mentions  having  met  with  a  curious  memorial  of  its  destruction,  and 
at  an  out  of  the  way  place.  This  was  a  gaudy  and  flaring  engraving 
in  a  black  wooden  frame,  representing  the  scene  of  its  destruction, 
which  he  found  in  a  tavern  at  Chiojf,  in  Russia.  'The  grouping  of 
picture,'  he  says,  '  was  rude  and  grotesque,  the  ringleader  being  a  long 
negro  stripped  to  his  trowsers,  and  straining  with  all  his  might  upon 
a  rope,  one  end  of  which  was  fastened  to  the  head  of  the  statue  and 
the  other  tied  around  his  own  waist,  his  white  teeth  and  the  whites  of 
his  eyes  being  particularly  conspicuous  on  a  heavy  ground  of  black.' 
How  this  picture  found  its  way  to  Russia,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
imagine  ;  it  would  certainly  be  not  less  a  curiosity  here  than  there. 

The  document  I  have  mentioned  gives  an  account  of  its  remaining 
history  in  a  shape  which  history  seldom  assumes,  that  of  an  account 

*  John  L.  Stephens,  the  celebrated  traveler,  was  a  graduate  of  the  Litchfield  Law- 
School. 


THE   LEADEN   STATUE.  105 

current.  It  is  preserved  among  the  papers  of  General  (afterwards 
Governor)  Wolcott,  of  Connecticnt.  It  is  a  statement  of  the  number 
of  cartridges  made  from  the  materials  of  the  statue  by  the  young  la- 
dies of  Litchfield,  and  is  in  these  words  : 

1  Mrs.  Marvin,  3456  cartridges. 

"  "         on  former  account,  2602 

6058 

11,592 

8378 


Ruth  Marvin  on  former  account,  6204 

Not  sent  to  court  house  449  packs,  5388 


Laura,  on  former  account,  4250 

Not  sent  to  court  house  344  packs,  4128 

Mary  Ann,  on  former  account,  5762 

Not  sent  to  the  court  house  119  packs,  out 
of  which  I  let  Col.  Perley  Howe  have 

3  packs,  5028 


Frederick,  on  former  account,  708 

Not  sent  to  court  house  19  packs,  228 


10,790 
936 


37,754 
Mrs.  Beach's  two  accounts,  2,002 

Made  by  sundry  persons,  2,182 

Gave  Litchfield  Militia,  on  alarm,  50 

Let  the  regiment  of  Col.  Wigglesworth  have  300 


Cartridges,  No.  42,288 

Overcharged  in  Mrs.  Beach's  account,  200 


42,088' 

The  original  document  is  in  Genex-al  Wolcott's  hand  writing,  and 
is  endorsed  '  number  of  cartridges  made.'  There  is  no  date  to  it,  nor 
is  there  mention  made  by  him  of  the  fact  of  their  being  made  from  the 
statue  ;  but  a  memorandum  added  by  his  son,  the  last  Governor  Wol- 
cott, explains  it  as  follows: 

'  N.  B.  An  equestrian  statue  of  George  the  Third  of  Great  Britain 
was  erected  in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  the  Bowling  Green,  at  the 
lower  end  of  Broadway,  Most  of  the  materials  were  lead,  but  richly 
gilded  to  resemble  gold.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution,  this 
statue  was  overthrown.  Lead  then  being  scarce  and  dear,  the  statue 
was  broken  in  pieces,  and  the  metal  transported  to  Litchfield  as  a 
place  of  safety.  The  ladies  of  the  village  converted  the  lead  into  cart- 
ridges, of  which  the  preceding  is  an  account.  O.  "YW 

The  Mrs.  and  Miss  Marvin  and  Mrs.  Beach,  mentioned  in  the  pa- 
per, belonged  to  families  who  yet  reside  in  Litchfield  ;  the  other  per- 
sons named,  were  the  two  daughters  and  youngest  son  of  General 
Wolcott.  14 


106  HISTORY    OF    LITCHF1IXD. 

Litchfield,  it  may  be  noticed,  was,  during  the  war,  a  place  of  great 
importance  as  a  military  depot.  After  the  capture  of  New  York  by 
the  British  in  1776,  all  communication  between  New  England  and 
Pennsylvania  was  turned  to  the  westward  of  the  Highlands  on  the 
Hudson,  and  the  troops  and  stores  were  usually  passed  through  that 
village  as  a  point  on  the  most  convenient  route  to  the  posts  on  the 
river  yet  in  possession  of  the  Americans.  General  Wolcott,  who  was 
a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  lived  there  ;  and,  during  the 
intervals  of  his  congressional  attendance,  was  constantly  occupied  in 
raising  troops  to  supply  the  requisitions  of  Washington,  Putnam  and 
Gates.  It  appears  from  his  letters  that  he  returned  to  Connecticut 
shortly  after  the  adoption  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  signers,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  statue  was 
transported  there  at  his  instance,  immediately  after  its  destruction. 
Of  its  identity  as  the  material  for  the  cartridges  above  mentioned, 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  last  Governor  Wolcott,  on  graduating 
from  Yale  College  in  1778,  was  appointed  to  an  office  in  the  Quarter 
Master's  Department,  under  General  Greene,  and  was  posted  at  Litch- 
field in  charge  of  the  stores  there.  His  opportunity  for  knowing  the 
fact,  as  mentioned  in  his  note,  was  therefore  certain.  The  late  Hon. 
Judge  Wolcott,  moreover,  who  figures  in  the  account  as  '  Frederick,' 
and  who  was  a  boy  at  the  time,  informed  me  a  few  years  ago  that  he 
well  remembered  the  circumstance  of  the  statue  being  sent  there,  and 
that  a  shed  was  erected  for  the  occasion  in  an  apple-orchard  adjoining 
the  house,  where  his  father  chopped  it  up  with  a  wood  axe,  and  the 
girls  had  a  frolic  in  running  the  bullets  and  making  them  up  into  cart- 
ridges. I  suppose  the  alarm  of  the  militia,  on  which  some  were  dis- 
tributed, was  Tryon's  Invasion  in  1777,  when  Danbury  was  burnt. 
On  this  occasion,  fourteen  men,  the  last  in  Litchfield  capable  of  bear- 
ing arms,  were  started  at  midnight  to  aid  in  repulsing  the  enemy." 

A  few  miscellaneous  facts  relating  to  Litchfield  men  are 
here  introduced  nearly  in  chronological  order. 

It  should  have  been  mentioned  previously,  that  Captain 
David  Welch,  of  Litchfield,  commanded  a  company  that  was 
called  into  active  service  early  in  1775,  and  in  April  of  that 
year  he  was  commissioned  as  Major  in  Colonel  Hinman's  regi- 
ment. He  served  throughout  the  war,  and  was  an  efficient 
and  popular  officer.  During  this  year,  also,  Jedediah  Strong 
was  appointed  a  Commissary  to  purchase  Horses  for  the  Army  ; 
and  Oliver  Wolcott  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  continental 
congress.  Fisher  Gay,  of  Farmington,  (a  native  of  this  town,) 
was  one  of  the  Lieutenant-Colonels  appointed  and  commis- 
sioned at  the  special  session  of  the  Legislature  held  in  March. 

In  May,  1776,  Amos  Parmeley  was  allowed  by  the  Assembly 
£14:  12:  1,  lawful  money,  "  for  nursing  his  sick  son,  John, 


MISCELLANEOUS    EVENTS.  107 

who  was  a  soldier  in  Major  Welch's  company,  General  Woos- 
tcr's  regiment,  in  the  northern  army,  in  1775."  This  is  the 
John  Parmeley  who  died  in  captivity  in  New  York,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1777.  Jedcdiah  Strong  was  appointed  Commissary  for 
the  purchase  of  Clothing,  and  on  a  Committee  to  exchange  bills 
of  credit  for  specie. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  Oliver  Wolcott  appended  his  name  to 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  In  October  he  was  re- 
appointed a  member  of  the  continental  congress. 

Drs.  Reuben  Smith  and  Seth  Bird  were  appointed  by  the 
Legislature,  in  October,  on  a  committee  "  to  examine  all  per- 
sons in  this  State  that  should  be  offered  at  Surgeons  or  Sur- 
geons' Mates  in  the  continental  army  or  navy,  and  if  found 
qualified,  to  give  them  certificates." 

Andrew  Adams  was  appointed,  with  others,  to  cause  the 
arrest  of  all  suspected  persons,  and  those  dangerous  to  the 
liberties  of  America. 

In  December,  the  Legislature  appointed  Tapping  Reeve  and 
Lynde  Lord  on  a  committee  to  "  to  rouse  and  animate  the 
people,"  and  endeavor  to  procure  the  enlistment  of  volunteers 
for  Washington's  army.  A  company  was  forthwith  raised  in 
Litchfield,  and  the  following  officers  were  commissioned — Na- 
thaniel Goodwin,  Captain  ;  Alexander  Waugh,  Lieutenant ; 
and  Ozias  Goodwin,  Ensign.  At  the  same  session,  Colonel 
Wolcott  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General,  and 
given  the  command  of  the  Fourth  Brigade. 

While  General  Wolcott  was  attending  upon  the  sessions  of 
Congress  in  Philadelphia,  his  principal  Litchfield  correspon- 
dents (aside  from  Mrs.  Wolcott  and  his  son  Oliver,)  were 
Samuel  Lyman,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  Reuben  Smith — bolh,  of  course, 
true  patriots.  Mr.  Lyman  was  accustomed  to  write  upon 
family  matters,  and  on  public  affairs  generally ;  while  Dr. 
Smith  kept  the  General  advised  on  subjects  of  local  interest. 
We  give  the  subjoined  letter  from  Dr.  Smith  entire — with  the 
simple  suggestion,  that  considerable  allowance  must  be  made 
for  the  personal  and  political  prejudices  of  the  writer.  His 
insinuation  in  regard  to  Major  Welch,  for  instance,  was  alike 
ungenerous  and  uncalled  for.     If  his  active   service  on  the 


108  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

field  does  not  afford  sufficient  evidence  of  his  zeal  in  the  cause 
of  Independence,  we  have  yet  a  surer  test  of  his  patriotism  in 
the  fact  that  it  was  again  and  again  endorsed  by  a  majority  of 
his  fellow-townsmen,  in  electing  him  to  various  public  offi- 
ces— at  times,  too,  when  they  would  not  tolerate  the  least 
suspicion  of  toryism.  When  Dr.  Smith's  letter  was  writ- 
ten, a  feeling  of  coldness  and  despondency  seemed  to  pre- 
vail among  the  patriots  throughout  the  colonies.  A  re-action 
had  succeeded  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  Revolution  was 
inaugurated.  Frequent  reverses  had  led  some  of  the  truest 
friends  of  freedom  to  fear  as  to  the  final  result  of  the  conflict 
in  which  they  were  engaged.  In  addition  to  this,  the  fact  is 
not  to  be  disguised  that  there  had  been  from  the  first  a  for- 
midable minority  of  the  voters  of  this  town  who  were  bitter 
opponents  of  the  "  Great  Rebellion,"  as  they  were  wont  to 
term  it.  These  facts  will  serve  to  account  for  the  temporary 
inactivity  of  the  patriots  in  Litchfield,  of  which  the  Doctor 
complains. 

"  Litchfield,  17th  April,  1777. 

Hon'd  Sir — Your  favor  of  the  1st  instant  came  to  hand  the  loth, 
and  I  now  sit  down  to  give  you  the  desired  information,  though  ignor- 
ant of  any  proper  conveyance. 

At  the  Town  Council  in  January,  John  Marsh,  3d,  and  Daniel  Rowe, 
were  objected  to  as  Innholders ;  upon  which  Captain  John,  who  is 
this  year  one  of  the  Selectmen,  moved  that  Marsh  might  be  called  in, 
which  was  agreed  to.  He  accordingly  came  in,  and  acknowledged 
the  several  charges  in  substance,  and  openly  declared  that  in  his  opin- 
ion America  had  better  settle  the  dispute  on  the  best  terms  they  could 
obtain  from  Great  Britain  ;  that  the  further  we  proceeded,  the  deeper 
we  should  get  in  the  mire,  (his  own  words.)  and  must  finally  submit. 
Captain  John  tried  to  help  him  out,  by  putting  some  questions  which 
would  admit  of  ambiguous  answers ;  but  the  young  man  was  too  open 
and  frank  in  his  answers,  and  accordingly  was  left  out,  as  was  Rowe. 
Captain  Seymour  and  David  Stoddard  were  put  in  their  room. 

The  latter  end  of  January  I  joined  the  army  under  General  Woos- 
ter,  and  retreating  soon  after  in  a  stormy  night,  was  over  fatigued, 
fell  sick,  was  carried  up  to  Horseneck  and  there  discharged,  and  re- 
turned home  some  time  in  February.  Some  soldiers  having  brought 
home  the  small  pox,  I  found  a  number  had  ventured  upon  innoculation 
without  making  proper  provision  that  it  might  not  spread  in  the  town. 
The  people  were  much  divided  ;  some  warmly  engaged  for  innocula- 
tion, others  as  warmly  opposed.  Unhappily  for  me,  I  was  chosen  one 
of  the  Selectmen  this  year,  (with  Captain  Marsh,  Mr.  Strong,  Cap- 
tain McNiele  and  Captain  Osborn,)  and  was  therefore  under  a  necessi- 


LETTER   FROM   DR.    REUBEN    SMITH.  109 

ty  of  interposing  in  the  matter  ;  and  thought  best,  as  it  was  against 
law,  neither  to  encourage  or  oppose,  but  endeavor  to  bring  it  under 
proper  regulations — in  which,  however,  I  failed  of  the  wished  for  suc- 
cess, our  counsels  being  very  much  divided.  Several  having  taken  it 
the  natural  way  from  those  that  were  innoculated,  Captain  Marsh 
was  engaged  to  crush  innoculation  wholly ;  and  some  people  have 
been  so  unreasonable  as  to  say  Mr.  Strong  was  both  for  and  against 
it.  Be  that  as  it  way,  it  served  as  a  game.  Both  had  like  to  have 
been  losers. 

I  can't  recollect  that  March  produced  anything  very  remarkable 
except  the  struggle  about  the  small  pox. 

April  is  a  month  of  great  importance  and  expectation.     Several 
appeared  by  the  suffrages  to  be  candidates  for  election  at  the  Freemen's 
Meeting.     Mr.  Adams   came  in  first ;  and,  after  many  rounds,  Mr. 
Strong  just  carried  it  against  Captain  Bradley.     Captain  John  Marsh 
fell  much  short  of  the  number  I  expected.     Major  Welch,   who  for 
some  time  has  appeared  a  cool  friend  of  the  American  cause,  was  ob- 
served to  have  nearly  all  the  tory  votes.     So  much  for  Deputies.    The 
Constables  for  Litchfield  were  Lieutenant  Mason,   (since  dead,)   Al- 
exander Catlin,  Briant  and  David  Stoddard.     Lieutenant  Mason  was 
appointed  in  the  winter  service,  was  seized  with  a  pleurisy  at   De- 
Lancey's  Mills,  (Westchester,)   sent  over  to  Rochelle,  and  when  we 
retreated  from  Fort  Independence,  was  removed  to  Mamrock,  where 
he  died  the  same  day.     His  eldest  son,  who  was  with  Captain  Beebe 
at  Fort  Washington,  came  home  about  the  same  time  in  a  very  miser- 
able condition,  and  is  since  dead.     Captain  Beebe  and  Lieutenant 
Jesse  Grant  still  remain  in  captivity.     It  was  said,  after  our  success 
at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  that  we  were  abundantly  able  to  exchange 
all   our  prisoners;  and  certain  it  is,  that  we  have  numbers  in  hand, 
and  yet  our  people  are  held  prisoners.     Is  there  not  somewhere  a  neg- 
lect?    May  these  partial  ills  be  productive  of  universal  good!     Has 
my  honored  friend   any  bright  prospects  ?     Has  he   any  cordial  for 
one  almost  in  the  Nadir  of  Despondency  ?     Public  spirit  and  virtue 
exist  with  us  only  in  idea.     Almost  every  one  is  pursuing  his  private 
gain,  to  the  entire  neglect  of  the  public  good.     Our  proportion  of  the 
continental  army,  I  believe,  is  not  half  completed.     Men  will  not  en- 
list, and  if  dratted  only  for  six  weeks,  (as  has  lately  been  the  case,) 
they  will  rather  pay  a  fine  of  five  pounds.     Thirteen  men  were  the 
other  day  drafted  in  Captain  Marsh's  company  to  go  to  Peekskill  and 
to  be  held  but  six  weeks  after  their  arrival.     Not  one  has  gone  or  in- 
tends to  go.     This  town  met  last  week  and  voted  £12  premium  for 
every  one  that  should  enlist  into  the  continental  army  for  three  years 
or  during  the  war;  but  I  cannot  learn  that  one  man  has  enlisted  since. 
This  day  orders  came  to  town  from  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Safe- 
ty to  fill  up  the  Eight  Battalions  immediately,  by  drafting  men  out  of 
the  militia  and  alarm  companies,  till  the  1st  of  January ;  but  it  will 
not  be  done,  as  a  fine  of  five  pounds  will  excuse  from  going. 

Our  money  is  continually  depreciating.  This  week,  John  Collins 
sold  two  yoke  of  oxen  for  £95,  which  might  have  been  bought  a  twelve 
month  past  for  £20  per  yoke.     Every  necessary  article  is  continually 


110  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

rising  in  price,  which  proves  a  fatal  discouragement  to  men's  engag- 
ing in  the  service  ;  for  if  they  go.  their  families  (say  they)  must  un- 
avoidably suffer  and  starve,  as  their  bounty  and  pay  will  not  procure 
them  the  necessary  rapport. 

Monday.  '28th  April. — Finding  no  opportunity  of  forwarding  the 
foregoing,  direct,  it  has  lain  by  until  this  time,  and  now  send  it  to  the 
Post  Office  in  Hartford  with  the  following  addition  : 

Intelligence  was  brought  to  town  last  Saturday  afternoon,  that 
twenty-four  Transports  were  come  to  a  place  called  Compo,  between 
Fairfield  and  Norwalk,  and  that  the  troops  were  landing.  About  two 
o'clock  next  morning,  an  Express  came  from  New  Milford,  who  in- 
formed that  the  troops  lauded  to  the  number  of  three  thousand,  with 
some  light  fieid-pieces,  and  proceeded  direct  to  Danbury,  where  they 
arrived  without  the  least  opposition  on  Saturday  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  took  possession  of  our  stores  and  the  town,  which  was  said 
to  be  in  flames  when  the  Express  came  away.  The  people  with 
great  spirit  turned  out  immediately  from  all  our  towns,  but  I  fear  to 
little  purpose  ;  for  if  they  fired  the  town  Saturday  afternoon,  they  will 
get  on  board  their  shipping  before  our  people  get  down.  Last  night, 
advice  was  brought  that  the  enemy  was  landing  at  New  Haven  on 
Saturday  night,  but  I  imagine  it  to  be  only  a  feint  in  order  to  prevent 
their  retreat  being  cat  off.  "We  have  heard  nothing  from  Danbury 
since  the  departure  of  our  people.  The  Tories  are  grown  very  inso- 
lent, but  I  believe  they  will  not  dare  attempt  anything  openly  with  us. 

Mrs.  Wolcott  and  family  are  well.  Oliver  is  gone  to  Danbury. 
My  haste  must  apologize  for  abruptness.  &c. 

I  am,  Sir,  Your  Humble  Servant, 

REUBEN  SMITH. 

Hon.  Oliver  Wolcott,  Philadelphia." 

The  last  Governor  "Wolcott  (then  a  student  at  Yale  College,) 
was  in  Litchfield  at  the  time  of  the  alarm.  Awakened  at 
midnight  by  the  summons  to  repair  to  the  rendezvous  of  the 
militia,  he  armed  himself;  his  mother,  furnishing  his  knapsack 
with  provisions  and  a  blanket,  hastened  his  departure,  and 
dismissed  him  with  the  charge  "  to  conduct  like  a  good  sol- 
dier."' He,  with  the  other  volunteers  from  this  town,  partici- 
pated in  the  skirmish  at  "Wilton,  as  well  as  in  the  subsequent 
attacks  during  the  retreat  of  the  British  from  the  burning  of 
Danbury. 

From  another  letter  written  by  Dr.  Smith  to  General  Wol- 
cott, (dated  at  Litchfield,  May  12th,  1777,)  we  make  the  fol- 
lowing extracts.  It  was  penned,  as  will  be  observed,  after 
the  return  of  the  Litchfield  soldiers  from  the  Danbury  Alarm  : 

"  Sunday  morning,  27th  April,  about  one  o'clock,  we  were  alarmed 
Our  people  turned  out  spiritedly ;  came  up  with  the  rear  of  the  ene. 


THE    D ANBURY    ALARM.  Ill 

my  about  eleven  the  next  day,  a  little  below  Wilton  meeting-house, 
and  pursued  them  aboard  their  ships.  Paul  Peck  was  killed  in  the 
last  attack  on  the  enemy.  Levi  Peck,  (Thomas  Peck's  son,)  was 
wounded  in  the  shoulder  about  the  same  time.  In  Wilton,  Ozias 
Goodwin  was  wounded  in  the  arm,  and  Salmon  Buel  had  one  of  his 
thighs  broken,  and  the  other  shot  through  with  the  same  ball.* 

The  infamous  Daniel  Griswold  came  into  the  western  part  of  this 
town,  the  morning  before  the  alarm,  and  was  there  concealed  till 
Monday  ;  and  took  off  to  join  the  ministerial  army,  David  Kilbourn, 
Benjamin  Kilbourn's  son  Charles,  Isaac  Kilbourn's  son  Abraham,  and 
Samuel  Kilbourn  son  of  Giles  Kilbourn,  Jonathan  Smith,  Jr  ,  and  his 
brother  Elisha,  (wrho  was  enlisted  in  the  light  horse,)  David  Joy,  Ben- 
jamin Doolittle,  Josiah  Stone,  and  John  Davies'  son  David,  and  one 
John  Beach  of  Woodbury  who  lived  at  Josiah  Stone's. 

The  Wednesday  following  they  were  taken,  (except  Benjamin  Doo- 
little and  Charles  Kilbourn,  who  it  is  said  were  killed  in  attempting 
to  escape,)!  and  were  carried  to  Derby,  where  they  were,  tried  by  a 
Court  Martial,  and  Griswold  was  sentenced  to  be  hanged;  which 
sentence  was  executed  on  the  Monday  following,  at  New  Haven. 
The  rest  were  pardoned,  upon  their  enlisting  into  the  continental  army 
during  the  War. 

Governor  Franklin  is  confined  in  our  Gaol,  and  a  constant  Guard 
is  kept.  We  trust  he  will  find  it  difficult  to  escape,  should  he  attempt 
it.  I  understand  he  utterly  denies  the  charge  of  dispensing  Pardons 
and  Protections." 

Of  Paul  Peck,  alluded  to  in  the  letter  of  Dr.  Smith,  it  is 

said,  "  he  was  the  most  expert  hunter  of  the  time  in  which  he 

lived.     At  the  Danbury  Alarm,  he  put  his  large  gun  in  order, 

followed  the  enemy  to  Compo,  on  their  retreat,  and  took  a 

station  behind  a  stone  wall,  where  every  shot  told — until  he 

was  rushed  upon  by  the  enemy,  who  took  his  gun  from  him 

and  dashed  his  brains  out  with  it."     He  was  killed,  April  28, 

1777,  aged  about  seventy -five  years.  $ 

*  The  Assembly  allowed  Mr.  Buel  £60  for  his  relief.  He  never  fully  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  his  wounds.  He  was  the  father  of  Capt.  Salmon  Buel,  who 
is  still  living. 

t  These  men  both  escaped.  Doolittle  remained  in  Litchfield  until  some  thirty  years 
ago,  when  he  removed  West.     Kilbourn  settled  in  Canada.     (See  Biog.  Sketches.) 

J  It  is  stated  that  Father  Mills,  the  eccentric  clergyman  of  Torringford,  wishing  on 
one  occasion  to  illustrate  the  certain  and  irrevocable  doom  of  the  wicked,  told  of  a 
timid  Berkshire  fox  that  started  on  a  trip  to  the  Sound.  At  first  he  was  wary  of  every 
step,  and  frightened  at  the  rustling  of  a  leaf.  But  having  safely  passed  the  snares, 
and  hunters,  and  hounds,  that  beset  his  way,  he  becames  careless,  proud  and  self- 
conceited.  "  He  enters  Fat  Swamp  at  a  jolly  trot,  head  and  tail  up,  looking  defiance 
at  the  enemies  he  has  left  so  far  hehind  him.  But  Oh,  the  dreadful  reverse : — In  the 
midst  of  his  haughty  reverie,  he  is  brought  to  a  sudden  and  everlasting  stop  u*  onb 
of  Paul  Peck's  traps." 


112  HISTORY    OF  LITCHFIELD. 

Twenty  or  thirty  prisoners  of  war,  of  various  grades,  were 
sometimes  confined  in  the  Litchfield  Jail  at  once.  The  loca- 
tion being  so  far  inland,  and  so  distant  from  any  navigable 
stream,  it  was  thought  they  would  be  less  liable  to  be  discov- 
ered and  rescued  here,  than  at  Hartford,  New  Haven  or  Boston. 
Among  those  confined  here  in  1776  and  1777,  were  Mr.  Mat- 
thews, the  English  Mayor  of  New  York,  and  Hon.  William 
Franklin,  the  royal  Governor  of  New  Jersey.  Franklin  was  a 
son  of  the  famous  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  held  the  office 
of  Governor  from  1763  to  1776,  when  he  was  seized  by  the 
whigs  and  conveyed  to  Governor  Trumbull,  of  Connecticut, 
by  whose  order  he  was  for  some  time  confined  at  Wallingford 
and  Middletown.  In  April,  1777,  the  Council  of  Safety  of  this 
State  received  an  order  from  Congress  "  to  confine  Governor 
Franklin  without  pen,  ink  or  paper  ;  and  directed  him  to  be 
conveyed,  under  guard,  by  the  Sheriff  of  Hartford  county,  to 
Litchfield  Jail."  In  September,  we  find  mention  made  in 
the  records  of  the  Council,  of  an  order  drawn  in  favor  of 
Lynde  Lord,  Esq.,  of  Litchfield,  of  <£100  toward  the  expense 
of  the  guard  placed  over  the  Governor  ;  and  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1778,  another  similar  order  was  drawn  in  favor  of 
Sheriff  Lord. 

Governor  Franklin,  after  his  release,  went  to  England,  and 
was  pensioned  for  his  sufferings  and  losses.  He  died  in  1813, 
aged  86. 

Under  date  of  August  1,  1776,  in  the  proceedings  of  the 
Council  of  "War,  occurs  the  following  record  as  copied  by  Hin- 
man,  (Hist.  Rev.  p.  377)  :  "  Letters  from  the  Convention  of 
New  York  sent  by  Mr.  De  Peyster,  respecting  the  pris- 
oners sent  from  New  York  to  Litchfield  Jail,  were  read ;  and 
thereupon  ordered,  that  the  Mayor  of  New  York  should  be 
brought  to  Hartford  and  there  confined.  Gilbert  Forbes  and 
William  Forbes  were  directed  to  be  confined  in  Litchfield  jail, 
and  the  other  ten  to  be  taken  to  Norwich  jail  ;  .and  warrants 
were  ordered  to  be  sent  to  the  several  jailers." 

In  the  proceedings  of  the  Council  of  Safety,  under  date  of 
August  26,  1776,  occurs  the  following  memorandum,  viz., 
"  Last  Monday,  David  Matthews,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New 


PUBLIC    MEN    IN    LITCHFIELD.  H3 

York,  was  brought  from  Litchfield,  and  on  Friday  was  return- 
ed to  Litchfield,  to  remain  under  the  care  of  Captain  Moses 
Seymour." 

The  first  Pleasure  Carriage  ever  brought  into  this  town,  was 
presented  by  Mayor  Matthews  to  Mrs.  Moses  Seymour,  whose 
husband,  it  will  be  seen,  had  the  custody  of  the  Mayor.  The 
carriage  was  in  use  here  as  recently  as  1818.  The  Mayor's 
traveling  trunk  is  still  in  this  town,  in  possession  of  one  of 
Major  Seymour's  descendants. 

Early  in  1777,  orders  were  issued  for  raising  eight  battalions 
in  Connecticut  for  the  continental  service,  "  to  serve  for  three 
years,  or  during  the  war."  Ninety-two  of  the  soldiers  for 
these  battalions  were  ordered  to  be  raised  in  Litchfield.  In 
April  of  this  year,  the  town  voted  to  pay  out  of  the  treasury 
to  each  soldier  that  should  enlist  for  the  full  term  specified,  the 
sum  of  twelve  pounds  per  annum,  in  addition  to  the  pay  they 
might  receive  from  the  State  or  General  Governments.  The 
Selectmen  were  at  the  same  time  directed  to  lay  a  tax  for  the 
purpose  designated,  and  Messrs.  Miles  Bach,  Leman  Stone, 
Moses  Barns  and  Stephen  Bidwell,  were  appointed  Collectors. 

Before  proceeding  farther,  it  is  proper  to  add,  that  at  the 
period  of  which  we  are  writing,  Litchfield  was  the  home  of  a 
remarkable  number  of  educated  and  thinking  men — some  of 
whom  were  already  distinguished,  and  others  who  were  des- 
tined to  act  an  important  part  in  their  country's  history.  In- 
deed, no  town  in  the  State  could  boast  of  a  community  more 
refined,  intelligent  and  patrotic.  Within  our  present  borough 
limits  resided,  Oliver  Wolcott,  Andrew  Adams,  Reynold  Mar- 
vin, Tapping  Reeve,  Isaac  Baldwin,  Samuel  Lyman,  Isaac 
Baldwin,  Jr.,  Elisha  Sheldon,  John  Pierce,  Jr.,  Dr.  Thomas 
Little,  Lynde  Lord,  Rev.  Timothy  Collins,  Rev.  Judah  Cham- 
pion, Dr.  Lemuel  Hopkins,  Dr.  Reuben  Smith,  Moses  Seymour, 
Timothy  Skinner,  Abraham  Bradley,  William  Stanton,  Am- 
brose Collins,  Elijah  Wadsworth,  and  Ephraim  Kirby — all  of 
whom,  and  many  more,  were  conspicuous  as  public  men  and 
patriots.  To  this  "  goodly  companie"  were  soon  added,  Oli- 
ver Wolcott,  Jr.,  Ashbel  Baldwin,  Ezekiel  Woodruff,  Julius 
Doming,  Uriah  Tracy  and  Doct.    Daniel  Sheldon — who  all 

15 


114  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

became  residents  here  before  the  close  of  the  war.  Sixteen  of 
the  gentlemen  named,  were  graduated  at  Yale  College,  and 
one  (Judge  Reeve)  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  ;  three  were 
members  of  the  State  Council ;  four  were  members  of  the  na- 
tional congress,  or  became  such  ;  seven  were  captains  in  the 
revolutionary  army,  and  four  rose  to  the  rank  of  general  offi- 
cers ;  two  became  Chief  Justices  and  two  Governors  of  the 
State.  Jedediah  Strong,  whose  residence  was  just  outside  the 
limits  stated,  was  a  member  of  the  State  Council  and  of  the 
continental  Congress.  Every  section  of  the  town,  in  fact, 
furnished  its  full  proportion  of  able  and  faithful  men  both  in 
public  stations  and  in  private  life — some  of  whom  have  already 
been  referred  to.  Among  these  were  Dr.  Seth  Bird,  Rev. 
George  Beckwith,  Colonel  Beebe,  Major  Welch,  Captains 
Morris,  McNiel,  Goodwin,  Osborn,  Stone,  Waugh,  Stoddard, 
Buel,  &c. 

The  era  was  characterized  by  a  rancor  of  party  feeling 
which  has  rarely  been  equalled  in  the  history  of  this  or  any 
other  country.  At  times,  the  zeal  of  the  patriots  knew  no 
bounds,  and  they  naturally  enough  regarded  all  who  differed 
from  them  relative  to  the  kingly  prerogative,  as  foes  to  liberty 
and  inimical  to  the  vital  interests  of  the  country.  The  gen- 
tlemen named  above,  belonged  to  the  popular  and  triumphant 
party,  and  their  memory  is  cherished  by  a  grateful  posterity. 
There  were  others  in  this  town,  as  elsewhere  throughout  the 
land — honorable,  influential  and  conscientious  men — who, 
while  they  openly  disapproved  of  many  acts  of  the  parliament, 
were  yet  warmly  attached  to  the  royal  cause.  They  looked 
upon  revolution  as  not  only  treason  to  their  sovereign,  but 
predestined  to  be  ruinous  to  all  who  might  engage  in  it ;  and 
they  chose  to  suffer  what  they  regarded  as  only  temporary  evils, 
rather  than  rush  into  the  vortex  of  war  for  redress.  Nor  is 
all  this  a  matter  of  surprise,  when  we  consider  the  force  of  ed- 
ucation. In  the  colonies,  as  in  England,  the  people  had  been 
taught  that,  next  to  religion,  loyalty  was  the  cardinal  virtue. 
"  Fear  God,  and  honor  the  King"  was  a  precept  which  none 
but  the  infidel  and  traitor  had  ventured  to  gainsay.  Some 
argued  that  any  attempt  at  independence  was  rank  ingratitude 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND.  115 

on  our  part.  "  In  our  weakness,"  said  they,  "  were  not  the 
armies  of  England  again  and  again  sent  over  to  protect  us 
from  the  French  and  Indians  ?"  The  Episcopalians,  or  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England,  were  drawn  towards  the  moth- 
er country  by  still  stronger  and  dearer  ties.  Their  clergymen 
were  ordained  and  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  by 
English  Bishops  ;  and  their  Book  of  Common  Prayer  taught 
them  to  pray  for  the  King  and  Royal  Family.  Besides,  Litch- 
field was  still  a  "missionary  station,"  under  the  direction  and 
patronage  of  the  "  Venerable  Society  in  England  for  Propaga- 
ting the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts" — the  Rector  of  St.  Michael's 
Church  receiving  a  portion  of  his  annual  salary  directly  from 
that  Society.  "With  them,  independence  not  only  involved  a 
political  separation  from  Great  Britain,  but  a  severance  of  an 
ecclesiastical  bond  of  union  which  they  had  long  regarded  as 
indispensable  to  their  prosperity,  if  not  to  their  very  existence 
as  a  church.  Hence  a  large  proportion  of  the  Episcopalians  in 
Litchfield  were  opposed  to  the  Revolution.  This  fact,  it  is  to 
be  presumed,  will  hardly  be  called  in  question — and,  for  the 
reasons  given,  does  not  necessarily  imply  any  lack  of  patriot- 
ism on  their  part.  The  late  Rev.  Isaac  Jones,  of  this  town,  in 
his  Centennial  Discourse,  in  1845,  says — "  In  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  churchmen  were  generally  attached  to  the  Gov 
erment  of  Great  Britain,  as  were  their  ministers  ;  but  not  all 
of  them,  however.  The  ministers  derived  their  support  from 
the  Venerable  Society,  etc.  For  their  adherence  to  the  royal 
cause,  they  were  troubled,  and  suffered  much.  So  were  they 
in  this  town."  The  late  Rev.  Truman  Marsh,  for  thirty  years 
Rector  of  St.  Michael's,  in  1845,  thus  wrote  :  "  The  writer  of 
this  sketch  can  remember  when,  in  this  village,  he  has  been 
ridiculed  and  insulted  when  going  to  or  returning  from  church 
on  the  Lord's  day  ;  when  the  windows  of  the  church  were  bro- 
ken ;  and  in  the  place  of  broken  panes  of  glass,  wooden  sliding 
windows  were  opened  to  let  in  the  light  of  heaven  to  read  the 
prayers  of  the  Common  Prayer  Book.  Thanks  be  to  Heaven 
for  the  great  change  in  public  sentiment !" 

In  such  a  contest  as  that  of  which  we  are  speaking,  conten- 
tions, and  strifes,  and  bitterness,  are  almost  inevitably  engen 


116  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

dered.  In  this  town,  friends,  neighbors,  and  even  households, 
became  divided  and  estranged.  Not  unfreqnently,  the  father 
took  one  side,  and  the  sons  the  other — and  brothers  sometimes 
took  opposite  sides.  "  Natural  affection"  seemed  for  awhile 
to  be  regarded  as  a  sentiment  which  ought  not  to  be  tolerated 
between  ivliig-  and  tory.  This  feeling  reached  its  culminating 
point  in  the  death  of  Daniel  Griswold,  already  mentioned  in 
the  letters  of  Dr.  Smith.  Griswold  is  said  to  have  been  a 
young  man  of  good  character  and  great  energy,  and  was  not 
unpopular  with  a  large  class  of  whigs.  Perhaps,  by  the 
bloody  code  of  war,  he  ought  to  have  suffered  death  as  a  trai- 
tor for  enlisting  soldiers  for  the  king's  service ;  though  it  is 
a  fact  beyond  dispute,  that  there  were  among  the  king's  troops, 
in  that  very  contest,  whole  regiments  of  "  Royal  Americans," 
as  they  were  styled.  Many  of  the  leading  whigs  of  Litchfield 
were  open  in  their  condemnation  of  the  action  of  the  Court 
Martial  in  this  instance,  and  the  event  probably  did  not  advance 
the  republican  cause  in  this  town. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    EEVOLUTIONARY   ERA — CONTINUED. 

From  1776  to  1780,  Litchfield  was  a  depot  for  military  stores 
and  provisions,  which  were  guarded  by  a  considerable  military 
force.  The  depot  for  provisions  stood  on  the  premises  now 
occupied  in  part  by  Dr.  Bud's  Private  Lunatic  Asylum,  in 
North  street,  where  a  building  was  erected  for  that  purpose 
sixty  feetlong  and  two  stories  high.  On  the  site  of  the  present 
Court  House,  was  erected  a  building  of  similar  dimensions  as 
a  depot  for  other  military  stores.  A  work-shop  for  the  army, 
(which  was  also  sixty  feet  in  length  and  two  stories  high,) 
stood  on  the  north  side  of  East  street,  just  west  of  the  Burying 
Ground.  The  prisoners  of  war  were  generally  kept  in  the 
Old  Jail,  which  stood  in  East  street,  on  the  spot  now  occupied 
by  the  dwelling-house  of  Mr.  Charles  L.  Perkins.  At  each  of 
the  places  here  designated,  a  military  guard  was  stationed 
night  and  day — the  roll  being  called,  the  soldiers  drilled,  and 
the  guard  set,  at  stated  intervals,  with  as  much  precision  as 
would  have  been  observed  by  an  army  encamped  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  enemy.  The  stores  and  provisions  deposited  here, 
were  for  much  of  the  time  under  the  general  superintendence 
of  Commissary  William  Richards,  of  Elizabethtown,  N.  J. 
Ashbel  Baldwin,  a  native  of  this  town,  graduated  at  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1776,  and  soon  received  the  appointment  of  Quarter- 
master and  was  stationed  here.  He  remained  at  this  post  be- 
tween two  and  three  years,  when  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge,  and  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Oliver  Wolcott,  Jr., 
who  graduated  in  1778. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1777,  Governor  Trumbull  wrote  to 
General  Wolcott,  informing  him  that  a  team  would  be  sent  to 
Litchfield  loaded  with  powder,  lead  and  flints,  and  requesting 


118  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

him  to  send  a  team  to  Salisbury  for  a  load  of  cannon-shot  to 
be  forwarded  to  Hartford  by  the  returning  teams.  By  a  sub- 
sequent record  of  the  Council  of  Safety,  it  appears  that  on  this 
occasion,  there  were  sent  to  Litchfield  seventeen  hundred 
pounds  of  gun-powder,  two  thousand  pounds  of  lead,  one  thou- 
sand flints,  and  three  hundred  pounds  of  cannon-powder. 

On  the  23d  of  July  following,  an  order  was  drawn  on  David 
Trumbull  for  <£  25:  5  :  10,  in  favor  of  John  and  Daniel  Dew- 
ey, "  for  carting  powder  and  lead  from  Lebanon  to  Litchfield." 
Late  in  the  autumn  of  this  year,  a  large  proportion  of  the  mil- 
itary stores  taken  at  the  capture  of  Burgoyne  were  deposited 
here. 

In  August,  General  Wolcott  wrote  to  the  Governor  and 
Council,  stating  that  he  had  ordered  all  the  effective  men  of 
Sheldon's  Horse  and  Humphreys'  regiment,  (who  had  not  been 
called  to  do  duty  under  the  recent  act  and  were  liable  to  be 
called  out  of  the  State,)  to  march  immediately  to  Peekskill, 
well  provided  with  arms,  and  with  forty  days'  provisions.  The 
General's  course  was  approved,  and  an  order  was  directed  to 
be  drawn  on  the  State  Treasurer,  in  his  favor,  for  the  sum  of 
£1,000.  About  the  same  time,  Sheriff  Lord  was  directed  to 
procure  from  the  merchants  of  Litchfield  county,  for  the  use 
of  the  army,  four  hogsheads  of  rum,  six  hogsheads  of  sugar, 
and  two  thousand  pounds  of  coffee,  at  a  stipulated  price.  If 
the  merchants  refused  to  furnish  the  goods  at  the  price  named, 
the  Sheriff  was  ordered  to  take  the  articles  wherever  he  could 
Und  them,  at  the  appraisal  of  two  or  three  judicious  freeholders, 
and  to  make  return  of  his  doings  to  the  Council. 

In  September,  Litchfield  was  established  by  the  Council  as 
the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  Sixth  Brigade,  and  Major  Beebe 
was  stationed  here  as  the  recruiting  officer  of  the  brigade. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  a  special  town  meeting  was  held,  of 
which  Jacob  Woodruff,  Esq.,  was  Moderator.  At  this  meeting 
it  was  voted  that  Messrs.  Lynde  Lord,  Thomas  Catlin,  Caleb 
Gibbs,  David  Welch  and  Alexander  Catlin,  be  a  committee  to 
purchase  and  provide  shirts,  frocks,  overalls,  stockings  and 
shoes,  for  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  soldiers  in  the 
continental  army  belonging  to  this  town — agreeable  to  a  re- 


COMMITTEES    APPOINTED.  119 

solve  of  His  Excellency  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Safety- 
passed  Sept.  12,  1777." 

The  Committee  of  Safety,  at  a  session  held  December  4th, 
appointed  one  person  in  each  county  to  see  that  the  Clothing 
for  the  Army,  demanded  of  the  several  towns,  was  forthwith 
provided  by  the  Selectmen  ;  and  to  furnish  pack-horses,  or 
other  means  of  transportation,  to  convey  the  same  to  the  Com- 
missary at  Middletown.  Alexander  Catlin,  of  this  town,  was 
appointed  the  member  of  this  Committee  for  the  county  of 
Litchfield. 

On  the  10th  of  December,  the  following  votes  were  passed 
in  town  meeting,  viz. : 

"  1.  Voted,  That  Messrs.  David  Welch,  Nathaniel  Woodruff, 
Archibald  McNiel,  Jr.,  Ebenezer  Benton  and  Thomas  Waugh, 
are  hereby  appointed  a  Committee  to  provide  for  the  families 
of  soldiers  according  to  law  and  to  the  votes  of  the  town. 

"  2.  To  pay  the  Committee  a  reasonable  compensation  for 
their  time  and  trouble. 

"  3.  That  the  Selectmen,  together  with  Messrs.  Tapping 
Reeve,  Seth  Bird,  Andrew  Adams,  Samuel  Lyman  and  Lynde 
Lord,  be  a  Committee  to  prepare,  state,  and  present  for  recove- 
ry, sundry  matters  and  accounts  for  money  supposed  to  be  due 
the  town. 

"  4.  That  the  Selectmen  be  empowered  and  desired  to  dis 
tribute  to  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  soldiers  in  the 
continental  army  belonging  to  this  town,  and  to  the  poor  of 
the  town,  and  to  the  families  of  such  as  have  died  in  the  ser- 
vice, whether  continental  or  militia,  or  in  captivity,  and  to 
such  other  families  in  this  town  as  are  not  in  circumstances  to 
to  supply  themselves,  forty-two  bushels  of  Salt  lately  brought 
from  Boston — in  such  proportion  as  they  shall  judge  most 
suitable  and  right — at  the  rate  of  ten  shillings  per  bushel ; 
and  the  residue,  to  such  as  are  able  to  purchase  the  same,  at 
prime  cost." 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  Litchfield,  legally  warn- 
ed and  convened  on  the  sixth  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1778,  to 
take  into  consideration  the  Articles  of  Confederation  and  Per- 
petual Union  between  the  States  of  New  Hampshire,  Massa- 


120  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

chusetts  Bay,  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  Con- 
necticut, New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware, 
Maryland,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina  and  Geor- 
gia, exhibited  by  the  Selectmen  pursuant  to  a  requisition  from 
His  Excellency,  the  Governor — the  said  articles  being  distinct- 
ly and  repeatedly  read  and  considered  : 

"  Voted  unanimously,  That  the  said  Articles  of  Confedera- 
tion be  approved,  and  that  the  Representatives  of  this  town  be 
instructed  to  use  their  influence  and  votes  in  the  General  As- 
sembly to  invest  the  Delegates  of  this  State  with  competent 
powers,  in  the  name  and  behalf  of  this  State,  in  continental 
congress,  to  subscribe  and  confirm  the  said  Articles  of  Confed- 
eration and  Perpetual  Union  between  the  States." 

Andrew  Adams,  Esq.,  was  Moderator  of  the  preceding 
meeting. 

At  different  dates  during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  the 
following  persons  ^in  addition  to  those  already  named,)  were 
appointed  to  furnish  clothing,  &c,  for  the  soldiers  in  the  pub- 
lic service  from  this  town,  and  to  provide  for  their  families, 
viz.,  Capt.  Joseph  Vaill,  Arthur  Emons,  Phineas  Baldwin,  2d, 
Capt.  Solomon  Marsh,  Lieut.  David  Stoddard,  Judson  Guiteau, 
Jonathan  Wright,  Timothy  Skinner,  Gad  Farnham,  Benjamin 
"Webster,  John  Smith,  Ebenezer  Plumb,  and  John  Marsh. 

In  March,  1780,  the  following  inhabitants  of  this  town  were 
appointed  Inspectors  of  Provisions  for  the  Army,  to  wit,  Mr. 
Asahel  Strong,  Capt.  Miles  Beach,  Capt.  Reuben  Stone,  Lieut. 
Thomas  Catlin,  Capt.  Archibald  McNiel,  Jr.,  Ensign  Jonathan 
Wright,  Mr.  Abel  Camp,  Jr.,  Lieut.  Lemuel  Harrison,  Capt. 
Zebulon  Taylor,  Capt.  Alexander  Waugh,  Mr.  Edward  Lins- 
ley  and  Mr.  Levi  Stone. 

In  the  spring  of  1780,  in  consequence  of  the  distressed  situ- 
ation of  the  army  that  had  wintered  at  Morristown,  Washing- 
ton appealed  to  Governor  Trumbull  for  assistance,  and  he 
never  appealed  to  him  in  vain.  The  following  was  related  by 
the  late  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  to  Charles  Hosmer, 
Esq.,  of  Hartford  :  A  special  messenger  was  despatched  from 
Washington's  head-quarters  to  Governor  Trumbull,  to  ascer- 
tain whether  he  could  rely  on  any  supplies  from  Connecticut. 


PROVISIONS    FOR  THE   ARMY.  121 

The  messenger  was  detained  but  a  short  time,  when  Governor 
Trumbull  placed  a  sealed  letter  in  his  hand  directed  to  Gen- 
eral Washington.     The  contents  of  the  letter  were  unknown 
to  the  bearer,  but  he  arrived  safely  in  camp  and  delivered  it 
to  Washington.     After  the  commander-in-chief  had  looked  it 
over  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Custis,  he  remarked  in  the  words 
of  the  unbelieving  Lord  of  rfamaris — "  If  the  Lord  would  make 
windows  in  heaven,  might  this  thing  be."     He  then  read  the 
letter  aloud  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Custis.     Its  purport  was, 
that  on  a  certain  day,  and  at  a  certain  hour  of  the  day,  he 
would  receive  at  Newburgh,  by  a  wagon-train  from  Hartford, 
200  barrels  of  Flour,  100  barrels  of  Beef,  and  100  barrels  of 
Pork.     It  also  contained  a  request  that  a  guard  might  be  sent 
to  a  place  specified,  for  the  protection  of  the  train.     Notwith- 
standing Washington's  unbelief,  he  sent  a  horse  guard,  as  re- 
quested.    At  the  hour  appointed,  they  saw  the  wagon-boys  of 
Connecticut  approaching  with  their  train  of  provisions.     This 
train  passed  through  Litchfield  on  their  way,  where  they  obtain- 
ed  some  additional   supplies.     When   Washington   received 
these  provisions,  he  remarked  to  Mr.  Custis — "  No  other  man 
than  Governor  Trumbull  could  have  procured  them,  and  no 
other  State  than  Connecticut  would  have  furnished  them." 
Accompanying   the   train,  Colonel  Henry  Champion  had   a 
drove  of  cattle  which  were  tolled  across  the  Hudson  by  the 
side  of  small  boats.     Col.  Champion  (who  held  the  office  of 
Commissary-General,)  was  father  of  the  Rev.  Judah  Cham- 
pion and  Mrs.  Julius  Deming,  and  the  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Asa  Bacon,  all  of  this  town. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1780,  a  train  of  sleds  loaded  with 
provisions  for  the  army,  passed  through  Hartford  and  Litch- 
field on  their  way  to  Newburgh.  Their  progress  was  slow, 
and  the  teamsters  (among  whom  were  Eleazer  Pinney  and 
Ebenezer  Nash  of  Ellington,)  suffered  incredible  hardships  on 
account  of  the  unprecedented  depth  of  snow  and  the  unbroken 
state  of  the  roads  over  which  they  passed.  On  arriving  at  the 
Hudson,  they  attempted  to  cross  on  the  ice,  when  their  teams 
broke  through.  The  horse  at  the  head  of  Mr.  Nash's  team, 
was  detached  from  the  oxen  and  floated  under  the  ice.     In 

16 


122  THE    HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

due  time,  but  not  till  after  a  desperate  struggle,  the  oxen 
were  all  rescued  from  their  perilous  situation.  The  principal 
part  of  the  stores  were  then  drawn  across  the  river  on  light 
sleds,  with  but  a  single  horse  attached  to  each.  These  sup- 
plies were  so  much  needed  by  the  army,  that  no  risk  was  con- 
sidered too  great  in  conveying  them  speedily  to  Washington's 
camp.* 

"  At  a  legal  Town  Meeting,  holden  at  Litchfield  on  Saturday 

the  8th  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1780— the  Hon.  Oliver  Wolcott, 
Moderator — it  was  voted,  That  to  every  able  and  effective  man 
belonging  to  this  town,  to  the  number  of  fourteen,  who  shall 
voluntarily  enlist  himself  into  the  Connecticut  Battalions  of 
Infantry  of  the  Continental  Army,  for  three  years  or  during 
the  war,  tfiis  town  will  pay  every  such  recruit  such  a  sum  in 
money,  including  the  wages  he  shall  receive  from  the  State  or 
the  United  States,  as  shall  be  sufficient  to  procure  ten  bushels 
of  good  merchantable  Wheat  for  every  month  he  shall  so  serve, 
the  price  of  which  Wheat  shall  be  computed  and  the  money 
paid  to  such  recruit,  or  his  assigns,  in  Litchfield,  in  every 
year,  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  during  the  time  such  recruit 
shall  serve  as  aforesaid ;  and  that  this  town  will  also  pay  as  a 
Bounty  to  every  such  recruit,  or  his  assigns,  in  Litchfield,  on 
the  1st  day  of  January  of  every  year  for  so  long  a  time  as  such 
recruit  shall  serve  as  aforesaid,  at  the  rate  of  thirty  bushels  of 
good  merchantable  Wheat  for  one  year's  service,  or  the  full 
value  thereof  in  money — for  the  payment  of  which  monies  or 
wheat  as  aforesaid  to  such  recruit  or  his  assigns,  in  case  he 
shall  enlist  himself  into  said  Battalions  by  the  15th  day  of 
July  instant,  this  town  hereby  becomes  bound  as  aforesaid." 

At  the  same  Meeting,  it  was 

"  Voted,  That  whereas  the  Militia  of  this  town  are  required 
by  an  order  of  Colonel  Andrew  Adams,  grounded  on  an  act  or 
order  of  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Safety  made  the  30th 
day  of  June,  1780,  to  furnish  fourteen  able  and  effective  men 
to  serve  in  the  Connecticut  Line  of  the  Continental  Army  until 
the  31st  day  of  December  next,  this  town  being  anxious  to  give 
every  necessary  encouragement  to  the  public  service,  hereby 

*See  No.  XV,  "  South  Windsor  Sketches,"  in  Hartford  Times. 


RAISING    RECRUITS.  123 

plight  themselves  to  pay  to  every  such  recruit,  or  his  assigns 
as  shall  voluntarily  enlist  himself  into  said  Battalions  by  the 
10th  day  of  July  instant,  to  serve  in  said  Battalions  until  the 
last  day  of  December  next,  such  sum  in  money  as  shall  be  suf- 
ficient, including  the  wages  he  shall  receive  from  this  State  or 
the  United  States,  to  procure  as  much  good  merchantable 
Wheat  as  might  be  obtained  by  the  monthly  wages  of  forty 
shillings  in  the  year  1774 — Provided,  nevertheless,  that  the 
Militia  of  this  town  not  being  called  upon  by  virtue  of  said 
order  to  furnish  more  than  fourteen  able  recruits  to  serve  in 
said  Battalions.  This  town  will  not  consider  themselves 
bound  by  the  votes  of  this  day  to  pay  Bounties  or  Wages  to 
more  than  fourteen  such  recruits  ;  and  in  case  a  greater  num- 
ber shall  enlist,  the  preference  shall  be  given  to  such  as  shall 
enlist  for  three  years  or  during  the  war — and  of  them,  to  such 
as  shall  first  enlist.  And  the  Colonel  or  Commanding  Officer 
of  this  Regiment  is  desired  to  discharge  any  supernumerary 
recruits,  agreeable  to  these  votes. 

"Voted,  That  a  Rate  or  Tax  of  six-pence  on  the  pound,  on 
the  list  of  1779,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  laid,  and  made 
payable  in  Gold  or  Silver  Coin  or  Bills  of  Credit  of  this  State 
of  the  emissions  of  the  present  year,  by  the  1st  day  of  Septem- 
ber next." 

Judson  Gitteau,  Timothy  Skinner,  Jonathan  "Wright  and 
Ozias  Lewis,  were  appointed  to  collect  the  said  Tax. 

"  At  a  legal  Town  Meeting  holden  at  the  Meeting-House  in 
the  first  society  in  Litchfield,  on  the  15th  day  of  November, 
Anno  Dom.  1780 — Major  David  Welch,  Moderator-— is  was 

"  Voted,  That  a  Tax  of  one  shilling  upon  the  pound  be  laid 
upon  the  Polls  and  Rateable  Estate  contained  in  the  Grand 
List  of  this  town,  given  in  the  year  1779,  to  be  collected  and 
paid  to  the  Town  Treasurer  by  the  1st  day  of  December  next, 
in  the  Bills  of  Credit  emitted  by  this  State  since  the  1st  day  of 
January  last,  new  Continental  Money  issued  under  the  author- 
ity of  this  State,  Gold  and  Silver,  or  old  Continental  Money 
after  the  rate  of  forty  shillings  in  old  Continental  Money  for 
one  shilling  Lawful  Money,  for   purchasing  Provisions  and 


124  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

requisite  Supplies  for  the  Army,  and  to  defray  other  necessary 
expenses  of  the  town. 

"Voted,  That  Messrs.  Timothy  Skinner,  Seth  Farnham, 
Theodore  Catlin  and  Harris  Hopkins,  be  Collectors  of  the  said 
Tax  accordingly. 

"  Provided,  Nevertheless,  that  any  person  may  pay  any  part 
of  said  Tax  in  Provisions  required,  and  at  the  respective  prices 
fixed  in  the  Act  of  Assembly  made  at  their  session  in  October 
last,  entitled  '  An  Act  for  Collecting  and  Storing  a  Quantity 
of  Provisions  for  the  use  of  the  Continental  Army  and  the 
Forces  raised  for  the  Defense  of  this  State.' 

"  Voted,  That  Messrs.  Timothy  Skinner,  Seth  Farnham, 
Theodore  Catlin  and  Harris  Hopkins,  be  a  Committee  to  pur- 
chase Provisions  agreeable  to  said  Act  of  Assembly. 

"  Voted,  That  Messrs.  Miles  Beach  and  Leman  Stone  be 
appointed  to  receive  the  Salt,  procure  Casks  to  contain  said 
Provisions,  to  receive  and  inspect  the  same,  see  that  it  is  good 
and  merchantable  and  well  put  up,  and  mark  and  store  the 
casks,  and  report  to  the  Governor,  agreeable  to  said  Act  of 
Assembly. 

"  Voted,  That  said  Beach  and  Stone  be  also  employed  to 
purchase  any  of  such  Provisions  as  occasion  may  offer  or  op- 
portunity present. 

"  Voted,  That  said  Timothy  Skinner,  Seth  Farnham,  Theo- 
dore Catlin,  Harris  Hopkins,  Miles  Beach  and  Leman  Stone, 
be  also  appointed  to  purchase  the  Clothing  required  for  the 
Army,  agreeable  to  directions  to  be  given  to  them  from  time  to 
time  by  the  Selectmen." 

December  26,  1780 — Reuben  Smith,  Esq.,  Moderator — 
"  Voted,  That  Timothy  Skinner,  Heber  Stone,  James  Stod- 
dard, Reuben  Stone,  David  Welch  and  Zebulon  Taylor,  be  a 
Committee  to  hire,  at  the  cost  of  the  town,  the  requisite  num- 
ber of  recruits  to  complete  the  quota  of  this  town  in  the  Con- 
necticut Line  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  for  three  years 
or  during  the  war." 

January  9,  1781.— Colonel  Andrew  Adams,  Moderator. — 
"  Voted,  That  whereas  it  is  necessary  that  this  town  raise  a 
number  of  soldiers  to  fill  up  their  quota  in  the  Army  of  the 


TOWN    VOTES.  125 

United  States,  the  town  does  promise  and  engage  to  each  sol- 
dier that  shall  enlist  into  said  service  in  either  of  the  Connec- 
ticut Battalions,  before  the  1st  day  of  February  next,  that  they 
will  make  good  to  him  his  forty  shillings  per  month,  by  snch 
addition  to  the  pay  he  shall  receive  from  the  State  or  the  Uni- 
ted States  as  shall  make  said  pay  sufficient  to  purchase  as  much 
Provisions  as  forty  shillings  would  have  done  in  1774." 

A  tax  of  three  pence  on  a  pound  was  laid  on  the  List  of 
1779,  one  half  to  be  paid  in  Wheat  Flour,  Rye  Flour,  and 
Indian  Corn.  Captain  Abraham  Bradley  and  Leman  Stone 
■were  appointed  Receivers  of  the  Flour  and  Corn. 

Jan.  18,  1781. — It  was  voted  to  divide  the  town  into  classes 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  requisite  number  of  recruits  ; 
and  the  Selectmen,  together  with  Captain  Abraham  Bradley, 
Captain  John  Osborn,  Ensign  Edward  Phelps  and  Dr.  Seth 
Bird,  were  appointed  a  Committee  for  that  purpose. 

March  26,  1781. — Nine  Foot  soldiers  and  two  Horsemen  are 
required  of  this  town,  in  addition  to  those  alreadj'in  the  field  ; 
and  the  necessary  steps  were  taken  to  raise  them. 

July  9,  1781. — "  Voted,  That  the  men  belonging  to  this 
town,  lately  detached  for  a  term  of  three  months  by  special 
order  of  the  Captain  General,  agreeable  to  a  resolve  of  His 
Excellency  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Safety  of  the  19th  of 
June,  founded  on  an  earnest  Requisition  of  His  Excellency 
General  Washington  for  eight  hundred  men,  <fcc,  have  and 
receive  out  of  the  Town  Treasury,  by  the  1st  of  Jamiary  next, 
each  the  sum  of  twenty  shillings  in  silver,  or  other  cquivolent, 
for  each  month  he  shall  be  in  actual  service  agreeable  to  such 
detachment." 

September  18,  1781. — "  Captain  Miles  Beach  was  chosen 
Receiver  of  Clothing  and  Provisions  on  the  2s.  Qs.  tax  payable 
in  December  next ;  and  Leman  Stone  was  chosen  Receiver  of 
such  part  of  said  tax  as  shall  be  delivered  to  him." 

January  3,  1782. — "  Toted,  That  the  Town  Treasurer  be 
desired  to  procure  the  order  or  orders  drawn  by  the  Commit- 
tee of  Pay  Table  in  favor  of  this  town,  for  Bounties  on  raising 
recruits  in  the  year  1781 ,  now  in  his  hands  and  office,  to  be 
exchanged  for  small  orders  to  the  same  amount ;  and  to  de- 


126  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

liver  out  thirty  pounds  thereof  to  each  of  the  respective  classes, 
taking  proper  receipts  therefor." 

February  25,  1782. — "  Voted,  to  raise  ten  men  for  State 
Service  or  the  Regiment  of  Guards  for  Horseneck,  as  required 
by  Act  of  Assembly,  by  dividing  the  town  into  classes  on  the 
List  of  1781." 

Captain  Abraham  Bradley,  Colonel  Bezaleel  Beebe  and  Cap- 
tain Lyndc  Lord,  were  appointed  a  Committee  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

"  Voted,  That  ten  men  be  added  to  the  above  Committee, 
whose  business  it  shall  be  to  notify  the  respective  classes  to 
meet  at  the  time  and  place  by  them  appointed,  to  proceed  in 
raising  recruits  as  aforementioned,  viz., 

For  the  1st  class,  Ensign  Edward  Phelps. 

"     •<    2d      "     Ozias  Lewis. 

"     "     3d     "     Benjamin  Peck,  Jr. 

"     "     4th   "     Elihu  Harrison. 

"     "     5th   "     Ephraim  Smedley,  Jr. 

"     "     6th   "     Learning  Bradley. 

"     "     7th   "     Ensign  Jonathan  Wright. 

"     "     8th   "     Lieutenant  David  Stoddard. 

"     "     9th   "     Captain  Alexander  Catlin. 

"  "  10th  "  Lieutenant  Timothy  Skinner. 
"  Voted,  That  each  non-commissioned  officer  and  soldier 
that  is  or  shall  be  detached  out  of  this  town  into  actual  ser- 
vice, the  current  year,  shall  receive  twenty  shillings  per  month 
for  the  time  he  shall  thus  continue  in  actual  service  on  such 
draft,  or  procure  a  man  to  serve  for  him ;  and  that  the  Select- 
men draw  orders  on  the  Treasurer  accordingly." 

March  25,  1782.—"  Stephen  Stone,  Elijah  Griswold  and 
Benjamin  Kilbourn,  having  lately  been  assessed  on  examina- 
tion by  the  Civil  Authority  and  Selectmen,  agreeable  to  law, 
for  each  a  son  gone  to  the  enemy,  and  having  requested  a 
hearing  in  Town  Meeting,  and  being  heard  accordingly,  the 
question  was  proposed  relative  to  said  Stone  in  particular  ; 
and  the  town  by  vote  did  not  discharge  said  Assessment. 
Whereupon,  it  being  late,  and  other  business  requiring  atten- 
tion—adjourned till  Thursday  the  28th,  at  10  o'clock  P.  M." 


TOWN    VOTES.  127 

At  an  adjourned  Meeting,  the  vote  in  the  case  of  Stephen 
Stone  was  reconsidered,  and  he  was  released  from  his  assess- 
ment. In  the  other  cases  mentioned,  the  assessment  was  con- 
firmed. 

April  2,  1782. — "  Messrs.  Timothy  Skinner,  Moses  Sey- 
mour and  Abraham  Bradley,  were  appointed  a  Committee  to 
make  enquiry  whether  any  of  the  Deserters  from  the  Army 
belonging  to  this  town,  and  not  accounted  as  part  of  the  quota 
of  the  town  in  the  late  returns  of  the  army,  have  joined  or  are 
likely  to  join  the  army  in  consequence  of  the  General's  Pro- 
clamation ;  and  whether  this  town  is  not  overrated  by  a  mis- 
take in  the  Report  of  the  Committee  for  ascertaining  deficien- 
ces,"  <fec. 

M  In  Town  Meeting,  16th  October,  1783 — Captain  Moses 
Seymour,  Moderator — it  was  Voted,  That  the  present  Select- 
men adjust  the  claims  of  the  non-commissioned  officers  and 
soldiers  who  lately  served  in  the  Eight  Battalions  of  this  State 
as  part  of  the  quota  of  this  town  and  claim  a  grant  of  twenty 
shillings  per  month  agreeable  to  a  vote  of  this  town  passed 
April  15,  1777  ;  and  having  by  agreement  with  said  claimants, 
or  otherwise,  ascertained  the  sum  to  them  respectively  due,  to 
divide  each  man's  sum  into  three  equal  parts,  and  give  certi- 
ficates thereof  in  behalf  of  the  town,  payable  at  three  different 
periods,  viz.,  on  the  1st  days  of  January,  1784, 1785  and  1786 
— the  last  to  be  on  interest ;  which  certificates  shall  be  paid 
by  the  Treasurer  according  to  the  tenor  of  them,  the  one  half 
of  each  in  money,  and  the  other  half  in  provisions  at  the  mar- 
ket price ;  and  that  the  Selectmen  for  the  time  being  make 
three  Town  Rates  for  that  purpose,  viz.,  in  the  years  1783, 
1784  and  1785,  to  be  collected  by  the  Collectors  of  Town 
Rates  for  those  years  respectively,  in  December  annually,  and 
paid  into  the  Town  Treasury  and  kept  distinct  from  all  other 
Town  Rates  or  Monies,  Orders  and  Accounts,  whatsoever." 

It  will  hardly  be  expected  that  I  should  here  detail  the  par- 
ticular acts  and  services  of  our  citizens  during  the  important 
period  covered  by  this  and  the  preceding  chapter.  A  more 
appropriate  place  for  this,  is  in  the  Biographical  Sketches 
which  will  be  found  in  another  part  of  this  volume.     In  gen- 


128  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

eral  terms,  it  may  be  remarked,  that  through  the  entire  war 
Litchfield  was  represented  in  the  persons  of  one  or  more  of 
her  sons,  on  the  Committee  of  Safety,  in  the  Council  of  State, 
and  in  the  Continental  Congress.  At  the  regular  session  of 
the  Legislature  in  May,  1780,  the  Representatives  from  this 
town  were  Andrew  Adams  and  Jedediah  Strong ;  the  former 
was  chosen  Speaker,  and  the  latter  Clerk,  of  the  House.  Ma- 
jor Moses  Seymour  commanded  a  Litchfield  Company  of  Cav- 
alry at  the  capture  of  Burgoyne.  Colonel  Beebe  was,  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  war,  chief  in  command  of  the  troops  raised 
for  the  defense  of  our  sea-coast.  General  Wolcott,  General 
David  Smith  and  Colonel  Tallmadge,  were  active  and  energetic 
officers  from  the  commencement  to  the  close  of  hostilities. 
Colonel  Sheldon,  commander  of  the  celebrated  corps  of  Cav- 
alry known  in  history  as  "  Sheldon's  Regiment  of  Horse,"  had 
been  for  some  twenty  years  a  resident  of  Litchfield,  and  his 
troops  were  raised  almost  exclusively  in  this  vicinity.  Cap- 
tains Seymour,  Stanton  and  Wadsworth,  of  this  town,  com- 
manded companies  in  this  corps  —  Captain  Stanton  being 
at  the  same  time  Paymaster  of  the  regiment.  Colonel 
Tallmadge  was  one  of  Sheldon's  most  efficient  Majors.  This 
regiment  was  Washington's  favorite  corps,  and  continued  to  act 
under  his  immediate  direction  till  the  Treaty  of  Peace  was 
signed — constituting  at  once  his  messengers,  his  body-guard, 
and  his  agents  for  the  accomplishment  of  any  enterprise,  how- 
ever desperate.  Captain  Morris,  also  of  this  town,  command- 
ed one  of  the  companies  of  the  "  forlorn  hope  "  at  the  Seige 
ofYorktown.  Indeed,  the  citizens  of  Litchfield  were  found 
at  the  head  of  their  battalions  or  in  the  ranks  in  nearly  all  the 
great  battles  of  the  Revolution,  including  those  of  German- 
town,  Trenton,  Princeton,  Long  Island,  and  Stoney  Point. 

The  following  interesting  incidents,  (copied  from  Hollister's 
"  History  of  Connecticut,"  vol.  ii.  pp.  390,  391,)  will  serve  as 
an  illustration  of  the  character  of  the  clergy  of  that  period : 

"  When  the  whole  country  was  in  a  state  of  alarm  at  the 
intelligence  that  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  a  large  fleet  and  ar- 
mament, was  approaching  the  American  coast,  Colonel  Tall- 
madge happened  to  pass  through  Litchfield  with  a  regiment 


FATHER    CHAMPION'S    REVOLUTIONARY    PRAYER.  120 

of  cavalry.  While  there,  he  attended  public  worship  with 
his  troops  on  Sunday,  at  the  old  meeting-house  that  stood  up- 
on the  village  green.  The  occasion  was  deeply  interesting 
and  exciting.  The  Rev.  Judah  Champion,  then  the  settled 
minister  of  the  place — a  man  of  great  eloquence  and  of  a  high 
order  of  intellectual  endowment — in  view  of  the  alarming  crisis, 
thus  invoked  the  sanction  of  Heaven  : 

"Oh  Lord!  we  view  with  terror  the  approach  of  the  enemies  of 
thy  holy  religion.  Wilt  thou  send  storm  and  tempest,  to  toss  them 
upon  the  sea  and  to  overwelm  them  upon  the  mighty  deep,  or  to  scatter 
them  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  But,  peradventure,  should 
any  escape  thy  vengeance,  collect  them  together  again,  O  Lord  !  as  in 
the  hollow  of  thy  hand,  and  let  thy  lightnings  play  upon  them  !  We 
beseach  thee,  moreover,  that  thou  do  gird  up  the  loins  of  these  thy 
servants,  who  are  going  forth  to  fight  thy  battles.  Make  them  strong 
men,  that  "one  shall  chase  a  thousand,  and  two  shall  put  ten  thousand 
to  flight."  Hold  before  them  the  shield,  with  which  thou  wast  wont  in 
the  old  time  to  protect  thy  chosen  people.  Give  them  swift  feet  that 
they  may  pursue  their  enemies,  and  swords  terrible  as  that  of  thy  De- 
stroying Angel,  that  they  may  cleave  them  down  when  they  have 
overtaken  them.  Preserve  these  servants  of  thine,  Almighty  God  ! 
and  bring  them  once  more  to  their  homes  and  friends,  if  thou  canst 
do  it  consistantly  with  thine  high  purposes.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
thou  hast  decreed  that  they  shall  die  in  battle,  let  thy  Spirit  be  pres- 
ent with  them  and  breathe  upon  them,  that  they  may  go  up  as  a  sweet 
sacrifice  into  the  courts  of  thy  temple,  where  are  habitations  prepared 
for  them  from  the  foundations  of  the  world." 

In  the  course  of  the  revolutionary  struggle,  Litchfield  was 
visited  by  most  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  army.  In  one 
of  the  letters  from  Colonel  Adams  to  General  Wolcott,  dated 
at  Litchfield,  May  6,  1777,  the  writer  says — "  While  I  am 
writing,  a  Prussian  General  has  arrived  in  town  on  his  way 
to  headquarters,  said  to  have  proper  credentials."  This  is 
understood  to  have  been  Count  Rochambeau,  who  came  to 
this  country  early  in  the  year  1777.  General  La  Fayette 
passed  at  least  one  night  in  this  village,  while  en  route  toward 
the  Hudson  with  a  train  loaded  with  provisions  and  stores  for 
the  French  Army.  On  this  occasion  he  lodged  in  the  south 
front  room  of  the  Judge  Reeve  House  in  South  street.  On 
the  evening  of  Saturday,  August  23d,  1780,  General  Wash- 
ington arrived  here,  on  his  way  from  Hartford  to  "West  Point, 
and  was  (according  to  Mr.  Gibbs,)  entertained  at  the  hospit. 

17 


130  HISTORY    OF  LITCHFIELD. 

able  mansion  of  General  Wolcott,  in  South  street.  He  spent 
the  night  in  the  village,  and  on  the  following  morning  pro- 
ceeded westward,  arriving  at  West  Point  about  11  o'clock  on 
Monday  morning.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  discovered  the 
treason  of  Benedict  Arnold,  who  commanded  at  that  post. 
Washington's  suite,  among  whom  were  Hamilton  and  Meade, 
were  with  him  on  the  occasion  referred  to.* 

Nearly  a  year  later,  Washington  again  passed  through  this 
town,  as  appears  from  the  following  extract  from  his  Diary  : 

ww  May  18, 1781. — Set  out  this  day  for  an  interview  at  Weth- 
ersfield,  with  the  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  Admiral  Barms. 
Reached  Morgan's  Tavern,  forty-three  miles  from  Fishkill 
Landing,  after  dining  at  Colonel  Vanderberg's.  19th. — 
Breakfasted  at  Litchfield,  dined  at  Farmington,  and  lodged  at 
Wethersfield,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Joseph  Webb." 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  commander-in-chief  was 
in  Litchfield  a  third  time.  On  the  first  visit  above  referred  to, 
(if  the  dates  given  at  the  time,  in  the  Hartford  Courant,  are 
correct,)  he  lodged  here  on  a  Saturday  night,  and  took  his  de- 
parture for  the  Hudson  on  Sunday  morning.  Our  venerable 
fellow-townsman,  Captain  Salmon  Buel,  well  remembers  to 
have  seen  Washington  on  one  of  his  visits  to  this  town,  at 
which  time  he  is  very  sure  he  spent  the  night  at  the  Gould 
House,  in  North  street,  then  occupied  as  a  tavern  by  Mr.  Sam- 
uel Sheldon.  At  all  events,  he  went  there  in  the  morning, 
with  about  fifty  of  his  school-fellows,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
the  renowned  commander.  A  company  of  horse-guards  were 
drawn  up  before  the  house,  waiting  for  him  ;  but,  as  he  was 
not  ready  to  start,  the  guards  rode  down  North  street,  and 
for  a  considerable  distance  out  West  street — returning  in  a 
short  time  to  the  Gould  House.  The  General  now  came  out, 
mounted  his  horse,  and  the  cavalcade  proceeded  down  South 
street — perhaps  te  enable  him  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Wol- 
cotts.  Captain  Buel  is  certain  this  was  not  on  a  Sunday 
morning. 

*See  Gibbs'  Adm's.  of  Washington  and  Adams,  vol.  i.  p.  17  ;  also,  Hollister's  Hist, 
of  Conn  ,  vol.  ii.  p.  337. 


Washington's  visits  to  Litchfield.  131 

The  late  Rev.  Truman  Marsh  informed  George  C.  Woodruff, 
Esq.,  that  in  one  of  his  visits  to  this  town,  Washington  put  up 
at  the  Kilbourn  House,  in  North  street,  it  then  being  an  inn 
kept  probably  by  Captain  William  Stanton.  This  house  is 
still  standing,  between  the  Tallmadge  Place  and  the  residence 
of  the  late  Dr.  Samuel  Duel. 

Several  incidents  connected  with  Washington's  visits  to 
Litchfield  have  been  preserved.  "  A  ludicrous  story  is  told  on 
this  subject,"  writes  Judge  Boardman,  of  New  Milford.  "While 
Washington  was  riding  through  the  west  part  of  Litchfield,  at 
the  head  of  his  retinue,  a  man  named  demons  sallied  out  with 
a  square  bottle  of  rum  in  his  hand,  and  addressed  him  some- 
what after  this  style — "  Great  and  glorious  Washington  !  will 
you  condescend  to  take  a  dram  with  such  a  poor  dog  as  I  am  ?" 
The  General,  with  his  habitual  dignified  courtesy,  took  the 
bottle  and  put  it  to  his  lips,  to  the  immense  gratification  of  his 
enraptured  admirer,  who  always  believed  he  had  drank  with 
General  Washington." 

The  following  anecdote  has  been  before  published  :  A  staid 
farmer  residing  in  the  upper  part  of  Beach  street — well  known 
by  the  sobriquet  of  "  Uncle  App" — set  out  for  the  East  Mill 
on  horseback,  with  a  load  of  grain.  He  was  a  true  patriot, 
and  loved  the  very  name  of  Washington.  On  reaching  the 
County  House  corner,  he  was  informed  that  Washington  had 
just  left  the  village,  and  the  procession  was  pointed  out  to  him 
in  the  distance.  In  an  instant,  Uncle  App's  horse  was  seen 
dashing  at  full  speed  to  the  westward,  the  bags  bounding  at 
every  jump,  and  the  long  skirts  of  the  rider's  overcoat  stream- 
ing in  the  wind.  Gaining  the  head  of  the  procession,  he  con- 
fronted the  leader  face  to  face.  "  Arc  you  General  Washing- 
ton ?"  he  eagerly  asked.  "  I  am,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  God 
Almighty  bless  your  Excellency  /"  was  the  emphatic  response 
of  the  farmer,  as  he  wheeled  his  horse — and  the  next  moment 
he  was  quietly  jogging  toward  the  Mill. 

I  recently  submitted  this  incident,  as  here  given,  to  Captain 
Buel,  who  knew  Uncle  App  intimately.  He  assures  me  that 
the  story  is  correct  except  in  one  important  particular,  viz., 
that  the  officer  with  whom  he  had  the  interview  was  not  Gen- 


132  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

eral  Washington,  but  one  of  his  attendants — perhaps  the  Cap- 
tain of  the  Guard  ;  and  that  in  fact  he  did  not  see  Washington 
at  all !  If  Captain  B.  is  correct  in  this,  (and  he  is  not  likely 
to  be  mistaken,)  the  event  doubtless  took  place  at  the  time 
referred -to  on  page  130,  when  the  Guard  paraded  through 
West  street  before  Washington  was  ready  to  join  them. 

It  is  stated  in  the  Appendix  to  the  Rev.  Isaac  Jones'  Cen- 
tennial Discourse,  preached  in  this  town  in  1845,  that  once 
when  Washington  passed  through  Litchfield,  his  soldiers,  to 
evince  their  attachment  to  him,  threw  a  shower  of  stones  at 
the  windows  of  the  Episcopal  church,  which  then  stood  about  a 
west  of  the  Court  House.  He  promptly  reproved  them,  say- 
ing— "  I  am  a  Churchman,  and  wish  not  to  see  the  church 
dishonored  and  desecrated  in  this  manner." 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  during  the  war  which  had  now 
closed  so  auspiciously,  the  American  Army  received  frequent 
and  valuable  accessions  by  desertions  from  the  British  ranks. 
Two  English  soldiers,  named  Robert  Morris  and  Richard  Mor- 
ris, at  one  time  applied  for  admission  into  the  corps  command- 
ed by  Captain  Beebe  of  this  town.  They  were  accordingly 
enrolled  as  members  of  his  company,  and  proved  to  be  most 
excellent  soldiers.  It  so  happened  that  on  one  occasion  they 
were  about  to  engage  in  battle  with  the  very  regiment  from 
which  they  had  deserted.  As  a  guard  was  to  be  left  behind 
to  protect  the  baggage,  Captain  Beebe,  well  knowing  what 
their  fate  would  be  should  they  be  taken  prisoners,  proposed 
that  they  should  remain  for  that  purpose.  They  begged  to 
be  excused  from  such  an  inglorious  service — preferring  to 
fight,  and  declaring  that  they  did  not  intend  to  be  taken.  They 
did  fight,  and  the  English  captain  under  whom  they  had  for- 
merly served,  was  among  the  prisoners  who  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Americans.  On  the  return  of  peace,  Richard  Morris 
settled  in  this  town,  and  here  for  many  years  pursued  his  trade 
as  a  weaver.  Being  a  bachelor,  he  built  himself  a  little  house, 
and  lived  entirely  alone.  In  his  latter  years  he  became  in- 
temperate. He  was  found  dead  in  his  bed,  August  24,  1806. 
The  verdict  of  the  Jury  of  Inquest  was — "  His  death  was  oc- 
casioned by  drinking  too  large  a  draft   of  spirituous  liquor, 


JOHN    I.    GATTA,   THE    HESSIAN.  loo 

taken  intentionally  from  his  own  hand."  The  fatal  bottle, 
containing  about  half  a  gill  of  brandy,  lay  on  his  breast,  round 
the  neck  of  which  one  hand  was  clasped,  the  other  being  placed 
on  the  bottom.  John  I.  Gatta,  a  Hessian  soldier,  also  became 
a  permanent  resident  of  Litchfield.  He  was  a  native  of  Hesse 
Castle,  in  Germany,  and  the  only  son  of  a  wealthy  baker,  to 
which  business  he  was  also  bred.  With  many  others,  he  was 
pressed  into  the  military  service  by  order  of  the  reigning 
Prince,  who  had  stipulated  to  furnish  soldiers  to  King  George 
of  England,  at  so  much  per  head,  to  be  employed  against  the 
colonies.  Gatta  was  soon  put  to  the  work  of  baking  for  the 
troops.  He  seems  to  have  resolved  from  the  first  never  to 
fight  against  America ;  but  an  incident  occurred  before  his 
arrival  on  our  coast,  which  doubtless  confirmed  this  resolution 
and  hastened  his  desertion.  He  was  a  young  man  of  spirit, 
and  quite  unaccustomed  to  the  discipline  which  prevailed  in 
the  army.  On  being  insulted  by  a  subaltern  officer,  he  sud- 
denly raised  a  glass  bottle  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  filled 
with  vinegar,  and  broke  it  over  the  head  of  the  offender.  For 
this  breach  of  order,  he  was  sentenced  to  receive  five  hundred 
lashes — which  sentence  was  subseqaently  executed,  though  he 
was  accustomed  to  say  the  flogging  "didn't  hurt  much." 
On  a  certain  night,  while  the  ship  in  which  he  was  brought 
over  was  lying  at  anchor  near  New  York,  Gatta  quietly  low- 
ered a  small  boat  into  the  water,  paddled  himself  ashore,  en- 
listed into  a  New  York  regiment,  and  served  his  adopted 
country  faithfully  during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  As  al- 
ready stated,  he  settled  in  this  town  ;  and  here,  in  1791,  he 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Mr.  Oliver  Collins  and  grand- 
daughter of  the  Rev.  Timothy  Collins.  His  descendants  are 
now  among  our  most  respected  people.  Mr.  Gatta  was  a  mark- 
ed character,  and  somewhat  eccentric.  He  had  been  so  long 
in  the  service  as  to  acquire  habits  of  military  precision  and 
promptness,  and  a  soldier's  proverbial  indifference  to  death. 
Said  he — "  When  the  Lord  calls  John  I.  Gatta,  I  shall  answer, 
'  Here  /'  "  Alas  ! — he  heard  the  roll-call  long  ago,  which 
summoned  him  from  a  world  of  vicissitude  and  trial  to  the 
land  unseen.     He  died  in  this  town  in  1837,  aged  81  years. 


134  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Towards  the  close  of  life,  he  thought  and  talked  much  of  his 
native  land  and  of  the  friends  of  his  youth ;  and  sometimes 
told,  with  much  emotion,  how,  after  his  impressment,  his 
mother,  having  pleaded  in  vain  for  his  release,  followed  the 
press-gang  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  that  she  might  have 
the  mournful  satisfaction  of  bidding  her  son  farewell  !j 

John  Glass,  William  Barrell,  Henry  Poulson,  James  Glass 
and  Adam  Tilford,  all  British  soldiers  in  the  revolution,  be- 
came residents  of  this  town,  and  some  of  them  died  here,  leav- 
ing families. 


^yf/tr7tJ   dc*fs?L0~u4' 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MEN    OF   THE   REVOLUTION. 

The  historic  names  of  the  Revolutionary  Period  most  inti- 
mately associated  with  Litchfield,  are  those  of  Ethan  Allen, 
Oliver  \Yolcott,  Elisha  Sheldon,  Andrew  Adams,  Bezaleel 
Beebe,  Moses  Seymour,  Jedediah  Strong  and  Tapping  Reeve. 
This  chapter  will  be  mainly  devoted  to  brief  biographical 
sketches  of  these  eminent  and  useful  men. 

General  ETHAN  ALLEN,  the  Hero  of  Ticonderoga,  was 
born  in  Litchfield,  January  10,  1737-'8.  He  was  the  eldest 
child  of  his  parents — Joseph  and  Mary  (Baker)  Allen — who, 
when  Ethan  was  about  two  years  old,  removed  to  the  adjoin- 
ing town  of  Cornwall.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his 
youth  and  early  manhood  in  Cornwall  and  Salisbury  ;  and 
about  the  year  1765,  emigrated  to  the  "New  Hampshire 
Grants,"  as  they  were  then  called — a  wild,  mountainous  region 
lying  between  Lake  Champlain  on  the  west  and  the  Connecti- 
cut river  on  the  east,  and  extending  from  the  Massachusetts 
line  northward  to  the  Canadas.  This  territory  was  claimed 
alike  by  the  governments  of  New  Hampshire  and  New  York 
— a  fact  which  led  to  a  fierce  and  long  continued  struggle  be- 
tween the  settlers  and  Governor  Tryon  of  the  latter  Province. 
The  hardy  and  resolute  pioneers  banded  themselves  together 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Green  Mountain  Boys,"  chose  Allen 
as  their  commander,  and  waged  a  war  of  extermination 
against  all  intruders  from  New  York.  This  contest  continued 
until  the  attention  of  both  parties  was  diverted  by  the  more 
important  events  which  immediately  preceded  the  Revolution. 
By  this  time,  Allen  was  famous  throughout  the  North.    When, 


L36  HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

therefore,  the  seizure  of  the  British  Fortresses  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain  was  secretly  resolved  upon  by  the  whigs  of  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut,  Colonel  Allen  was,  by  common  consent,  se- 
lected as  the  leader  of  the  hazardous  enterprise.  In  another 
part  of  this  volume,  I  have  referred  to  this  subject,  and  can 
here  only  give  it  a  passing  notice.  In  the  twilight  of  a  peace- 
ful May  morning,  in  1775,  the  hero,  followed  by  a  little  band 
of  trusty  soldiers,  entered  the  fortress  of  Ticonderoga,  and 
thundered  at  the  door  of  the  commander,  demanding  the  in- 
stant surrender  of  the  garrison.  "  By  what  authority  do  you 
demand  it  ?"  asked  Captain  Delaplace,  as  he  stood  trem- 
bling before  the   giant  apparition.     "  In  the  name  of  the 

GREAT  JAHOVAH  AND  THE   CONTINENTAL   CONGRESS  !"  responded 

Allen,  at  the  same  time  threatening  the  Captain  with  instant 
death  if  his  demand  was  not  forthwith  complied  with.  There 
was  no  alternative.  With  a  countenance  and  manner  not  to 
be  mistaken,  Allen  stood  with  his  drawn  sword,  ready  to  exe- 
cute his  threat.  The  garrison  were  at  once  surrendered  as 
priloners  of  war,  and  all  the  arms,  ammunition,  provisions, 
&c,  contained  in  the  fort,  fell  into  the  hands  of  Allen.  The 
capture  of  Crown  Point  by  Colonel  Warner,  on  the  following 
day,  gave  the  whigs  complete  possession  of  Lake  Champlain. 
Colonel  Allen  now  visited  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New 
York  and  the  Continental  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  and  was 
received  with  marked  consideration  by  both  of  those  illustri- 
ous bodies.  He  was  admitted  to  the  floor  of  each,  and  per- 
mitted to  detail  his  plan  for  the  conquest  of  Canada.  His 
plan  was  approved,  and  he  was  commissioned  as  a  Colonel  in 
the  Continental  Army.  In  September  following,  he  made  an 
unsuccessful  attack  upon  Montreal,  was  taken  prisoner,  carried 
to  England,  and  confined  in  Pendennis  Castle.  As  Ticonder- 
oga had  long  been  a  famous  place  in  that  country,  the  renown 
of  his  exploit  had  preceded  him  thither.  On  his  arrival  at 
Falmouth,  so  great  was  the  curiosity  to  see  him  that  crowds 
of  people  thronged  the  highways,  house-tops  and  rising  grounds 
in  the  vicinity — the  officers  being  compelled  to  force  their  way 
through  the  throng,  for  a  mile,  with  drawn  swords.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  fawn-skin  jacket,  an  underdress  and  breeches  01 


ETHAN    ALLEN.  137 

sagatha,  worsted  stockings,  coarse  shoes,  and  a  red  worsted  cap. 
On  ship  board  he  was  treated  with  great  severity,  being  a  part 
of  the  time  hand-cuffed  and  imprisoned  in  a  dirty  cell.  When 
angry,  his  rage  was  terrible.  Once,  on  being  insulted  by  a 
petty  officer,  he  twisted  off,  with  his  teeth,  a  ten-penny  nail 
with  which  his  shackles  were  fastened  !  During  the  spring  of 
1776,  he  was  brought  back  to  America — but  was  detained  in 
New  York  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  until  May  6,  1778,  when  he 
was  exchanged  for  Colonel  Campbell.  After  repairing  to 
headquarters,  and  offering  his  services  to  General  Washington, 
Allen  visited  the  Grants,  (or  Vermont,)  were  his  arrival  was 
announced  by  the  discharge  of  cannon,  and  other  demonstra- 
tions of  joy.  The  newly  organized  State  of  Vermont  appoint- 
ed him  to  the  office  of  Major-General  and  commander-in-chief 
of  the  State  militia,  and  sent  him  as  a  special  delegate  to  the 
National  Congress.  He  was  also  elected  a  Representative  to 
the  Legislature — a  post  to  which  he  was  repeatedly  re-elected. 

Aside  from  several  pamphlets  which  had  their  origin  in  the 
controversy  with  New  York,  Allen  published  a  Narrative  of 
his  Captivity  in  a  volume  of  200  pages,  and  a  theological  work 
entitled  "  The  Oraeles  of  Reason"  in  which  he  attempts  to 
subvert  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  His  writings  are  bold, 
artful  and  egotistical,  and,  though  sometimes  crude  and  unpol- 
ished, evince  talents  of  a  high  order. 

The  following  anecdote  (indicating  that  Allen  in  reality  had 
very  little  faith  iii  his  own  system  of  divinity,)  is  contained  in 
a  note  to  page  409,  volume  ii,  of  President  Dwight's  "  Travels 
in  New  England  and  New  York:" 

"  Dr.  Elliot,  who  removed  from  Guilford  in  Connecticut,  to 
Vermont,  was  well  acquainted  with  Colonel  Allen,  and  had 
made  him  a  visit  at  a  time  when  his  daughter  was  very  sick 
and  near  to  death.  He  was  introduced  to  the  Library,  where 
the  Colonel  read  to  him  some  of  his  writings  with  much  self- 
complacency,  and  asked — "  Is  not  that  well  done  ?"  While 
they  were  thus  employed,  a  messenger  entered  and  informed 
Colonel  Allen  that  his  daughter  was  dying,  and  desired  to 
him.  He  immediately  went  to  her  chamber,  accompanied  by 
Dr.  Elliot,  who  was  desirous  of  witnessing  the  interview.     The 

18 


:      a  BISTORT    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

■wife  of  Allen  was  a  pious  woman,  and  had  instructed  her 
daughter  in  the  principles  of  Christianity.  As  soon  as  her 
father  appeared  at  her  hed-side,  she  said  to  him — '  I  am  about 
to  die  ;  shall  I  believe  in  the  principles  you  have  taught  me, 
or  shall  I  believe  in  what  my  mother  has  taught  me  V  He 
became  extremely  agitated  ;  his  chin  quivered ;  his  whole  frame 
sl100k — and  after  waiting  a  few  moments,  he  replied — '  Be- 
lieve what  your  mother  has  taught  you.''  " 

While  Allen  was  on  parole  in  New  York,  a  British  officer  of 
honorable  rank  sent  for  him  to  call  at  his  lodgings.  On  his 
arrival,  the  officer  told  him  that  his  fidelity,  though  in  a 
wrong  cause,  had  won  the  good  opinion  of  Lord  Howe,  who 
was  disposed  to  show  him  favor.  He,  at  the  same  time,  held 
out  to  him  brilliant  prospects  of  promotion  and  money,  and 
large  tracts  of  land  either  in  Connecticut  or  Vermont  at  the 
close  of  the  war.  Allen  replied,  that  if  by  faithfulness  he  had 
recommended  himself  to  General  Howe,  he  should  be  loth  by 
unfaithfulness  to  forfeit  the  General's  good  opinion  ;  and  as 
to  the  lands,  he  regarded  the  offer  not  unlike  that  made  by 
Satan  to  Christ,  who  promised  him  "  all  he  kingdoms  of  the 
world,"  when  in  fact  "  the  old  devil  didn't  own  an  acre  !"  The 
officer  thereupon  sent  him  away  as  incorrigablc. 

Jared  Sparks,  LL.  D.,  (late  President  of  Harvard  College,) 
in  his  Biography  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  says — "  There 
is  much  to  admire  in  the  character  of  Ethan  Allen.  He  was 
brave,  generous  and  frank — true  to  his  country,  consistent  and 
unyielding  in  his  purposes,  seeking  at  all  times  to  promote  the 
best  good  of  mankind — a  lover  of  social  harmony,  and  a  deter- 
mined foe  to  the  artifices  of  injustice  and  the  encroachments 
of  power.  Few  have  suffered  more  in  the  cause  of  freedom^  few 
have  borne  their  sufferings  with  a  firmer  constancy  or  a  loftier 
spirit.  His  courage,  even  when  approaching  to  rashness,  was 
calm  and  deliberate.  No  man  probably  ever  possessed  this 
attribute  in  a  more  remarkable  degree.  He  was  eccentric 
and  ambitious,  but  these  weaknesses,  if  such  they  were,  never 
betrayed  him  into  acts  dishonorable,  unworthy  or  selfish.  So 
rigid  was  he  in  his  patriotism,  that,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  one  of  his  brothers  had  avowed  tory  principles  and  had 


ETHAN    ALLEN.  L3Q 

been  guilty  of  a  correspondence  with  the  enemy,  he  entered 
a  public  complaint  against  him  in  his  own  name,  and  peti- 
tioned the  Court  to  confiscate  his  property  in  obedience  to  the 
law.  His  enemies  never  had  cause  to  question  his  magnanim- 
ity, or  his  friends  to  regret  confidence  misplaced  or  expecta- 
tions disappointed.  He  was  kind,  benevolent,  humane  and 
placable.  In  short,  whatever  may  have  been  his  peculiarities, 
and  however  the^e  may  have  diminished  the  weight  of  his  in- 
fluence and  the  value  of  his  public  services,  it  must  be  allowed 
that  he  was  a  man  of  very  considerable  importance  in  the 
sphere  of  his  activity,  and  that  to  no  individual  among  her 
patriot  founders  is  the  State  of  Vermont  more  indebted  for 
the  basis  of  her  free  institutions  and  the  achievement  of  her 
independence,  than  to  Ethan  Allen." 

This  is  certainly  a  high  compliment,  coming  from  the  source 
it  docs.  The  theological  writings  of  Allen,  however,  were  not 
calculated  to  render  him  popular  with  the  good  people  of  New 
England.  Preachers,  poets  and  critics  joined  in  a  furious  cru- 
sade against  him,  to  all  of  which  he  affected  the  utmost  con- 
tempt. Soon  after  the  publication  of  his  "  Oracles,"  alluding 
to  the  anticipated  attacks  of  the  clergy,  (in  a  letter  to  a  friend,) 
he  says — "  I  defy  the  whole  artillery  of  hell-fire."  The  follow- 
ing piece  of  satire  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Lemuel  Hopkins,  (him- 
self for  some  years  a  resident  of  Litchfield,)  is  preserved  in 
Dr.  Elihu  Hubbard  Smith's  "  Collection  of  American  Poetry," 
which  was  printed  at  Litchfield,  by  Collier  &  Adam,  in  1792 : 

"  Lo,  Allen,  'scaped  from  British  jails, 
His  tushes  broke  by  biting  nails, 
Appears  in  hyperborean  skies, 
To  tell  the  world  the  Bible  lies. 
See  him  on  Green  Hills  north  afar, 
Glow  like  a  self-enkindled  star, 
Prepared  (with  mob-collecting  club, 
Black  from  the  forge  of  Beelzebub, 
And  grim  withmctaphysic  scowl, 
With  quill  just  plucked  from  wing  of  owl,) 
As  rage  or  reason  rise  or  sink, 
To  shed  his  blood,  or  shed  his  ink. 
Behold,  inspired  from  Vermont  dens, 
The  seer  of  anti-Christ  descends, 
To  feed  new  mobs  with  hell-born  manna 
In  Gentile  lands  of  Susquehanna  ; 
And  teach  the  Pennsylvania  quaker 
High  blasphemies  against  his  Maker. 
Behold  him  move,  ye  staunch  divines  ! 


140  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

His  tall  head  bustling  through  the  pines  ; 

All  front  he  seems,  like  wall  of  brass, 

And  bravs  tremendous  as  an  ass. 

One  hand  is  clenched  to  batter  noses, 

While  t'other  scrawls  'gainst  Paul  and  Moses  !" 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1762,  Allen  married  Mary  Bronson 
of  Woodbury,  who  died  in  1784.  Their  children  were — Jo- 
seph, Loraina,  Lucy,  Mary  Ann,  and  Pamela.  Loraina  died 
young,  and  was  the  subject  of  the  anecdote  just  given. 

General  Allen  died  of  apoplexy,  on  his  estate  at  Colchester,' 
Vermont,  February  12,  1789,   aged  51  years.     A  splendid 
monument,  forty  feet  in  height,  (to  be  surmounted  by  a  colossal 
statue  of  the  hero,)  has  recently  been  erected  to  his  memory 
at  Burlington,  by  the  Legislature  of  Vermont. 

The  Honorable  ELISHA  SHELDON,  a  native  of  Lyme, 
and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1730,  became  a 
resident  of  this  village  in  1753,  and  here  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  was  an  Associate  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  for  Litchfield  County  from  1754  to  1761 ;  at  which 
latter  date  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Council,  or  Upper 
House,  in  which  distinguished  body  he  sat  until  his  decease — 
a  period  of  eighteen  years.  He  was  also  chosen  a  Representa- 
tive by  the  freemen  of  this  town  at  ten  semi-annual  elections. 
Mr.  Sheldon  was  equally  conspicuous  in  the  civil  and  ecclesi- 
astical affairs  of  the  town,  and  was  often  called  upon  to  pre- 
side at  our  town  meetings.  He  also,  for  a  period  of  eighteen 
years,  held  the  office  of  County  Treasurer.  An  active  patriot 
in  the  revolution,  he  was  not  unfrequently  appointed  by  the 
Legislature,  and  by  his  fellow-citizens,  on  important  commit- 
tees, having  for  their  object  the  advancement  of  the  common 
cause.  He  died  in  the  midst  of  the  great  contest.  His  re- 
mains rest  in  the  West  Burying-Ground,  beneath  a  marble 
tablet,  on  which  is  inscribed  the  following  epitaph  :  "  This 
Monument  is  erected  to  the  Memory  of  the  Hon.  Elisha  Shel- 
don, Esq.,  who  departed  this  life  September  the  first,  Anno 
Domini  1779,  in  the  79th  year  of  his  age.  A  Gentleman  of 
extensive  genius  and  Liberal  Education,  called  in  early  life  to 
various  public  employments,  both  Civil  and  Military,  all  which 
he  executed  with  punctuality  and  fidelity  ;  much  respected 
for  his  Generosity  and  Benevolence,  and  greatly  lamented  by 


OLIVER   WOLCOTT.  141 

his  extensive  Acquaintance.  In  early  life  he  made  a  profes- 
sion of  the  Christian  Religion,  and  till  his  Death  adorned  it 
by  a  very  Exemplary  Conversation^  '  Blessed  are  the  Dead 
who  die  in  the  Lord.'  " 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Sheldon  was  Elizabeth  Ely,  by  whom  he 
had  five  children,  viz.,  Lois,  (m.  Lynde  Lord,  Esq.,  Sheriff,) 
Mary,  Thomas,  Samuel,  and  Col.  Elisha,  (commander  of  the 
2d  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons  in  the   Continental  Army.) 

The  Honorable  OLIVER  WOLCOTT,  LL.  D.,  (son  of 
His  Excellency,  the  Hon.  Roger  Wolcott,  Governor  and  Chief 
Justice  of  Connecticut,)  was  born  in  Windsor,  December  20, 
1726,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1745.  In  early 
manhood,  he  commanded  a  company  of  volunteers  in  the 
Northern  Army,  in  the  war  against  the  French.  Having  pur- 
sued the  usual  course  of  medical  studies,  he  established  him- 
self as  a  physician  inrGoshen,  and  was  residing  there  at  the 
date  of  the  organization  of  the  County  of  Litchfield,  October, 
1751.  The  Legislature  appointed  him  the  first  High  Sheriff 
of  the  new  County,  and  he  immediately  took  up  his  abode  in 
this  village,  and  continued  to  reside  here  until  his  decease,  a 
period  of  forty-six  years.  He  was  thus  but  twenty-five  years 
of  age  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Litchfield,  and  hence  his 
fame,  subsequently  achieved,  as  really  belongs  to  us  as  if  he 
had  been  born  in  the  town.  In  1752,  lie  erected  the  "Wolcott 
House"  in  South  street,  which  is  still  one  of  the  most  desirable 
residences  in  the  place,  though  more  than  a  century  has  rolled 
by  since  its  foundations  were  laid.  With  a  commanding  per- 
sonal appearance,  dignified  manners,  a  clear  and  cultivated 
intellect,  and  a  character  for  integrity  far  above  the  reach  of 
suspicion,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  became  a  favorite 
of  the  people  with  whom  his  lot  was  cast.  Besides  holding  the 
office  of  Sheriff  for  over  twenty  years,  he  was  chosen  a  Repre- 
sentative to  the  Legislature  five  times  between  the  years  1764 
and  1770,  inclusive  ;  a  member  of  the  Council  or  Upper  House 
from  1771  to  1786 ;  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Probate  for  the 
District  of  Litchfield  from  1772  to  1795  ;  Judge  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  from  1773  to  1786  ;  and  member  of  the 
Continental  Congress  from  1775  to  1784,  (except  two  years.) 


142  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

lie  was  one  of  that  memorable  band  of  patriots  and  sages  who, 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1776,  affixed  their  names  to  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  In  the  early  part  of  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, Judge  Wolcott  was  commissioned  as  a  Brigadier  General, 
and  Congress  appointed  him  a  Commissioner  on  Indian  Affairs 
for  the  Northern  Department,  with  General  Schuyler  and  oth- 
ers. In  May,  1779,  he  was  elected  by  the  Legislature  and  com- 
missioned by  Governor  Trumbull,  as  Major  General  of  the 
Militia  of  Connecticut,  to  succeed  General  James  Wadsworth, 
resigned.  In  these  important  and  responsible  stations,  he 
rendered  the  country  essential  service.  On  the  field,  in  the 
camp,  at  the  rendezvous,  in  the  apartments  of  the  Commissary 
of  Supplies — in  fact,  wherever  he  could  render  himself  useful 
— he  was  found,  ever  prompt  in  planning  and  efficient  in  exe- 
cuting. At  the  same  time  he  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety  ;  and,  when  at  home,  was  ecpaally  zealous 
and  conspicuous  in  the  local  affairs  of  the  town — officiating  as 
Moderator,  Selectman,  Committee-man,  &c.  Indeed,  no  man 
in  the  State,  at  this  period,  discharged  so  many  and  varied 
public  duties.  A  considerable  share  of  the  reputation  which 
Connecticut  acquired  for  promptness  in  furnishing  men  and 
means  for  the  army,  is  due  to  General  Wolcott.  Certainly, 
to  no  other  individual  in  the  western  counties  could  Governor 
Trumbull  or  General  Washington  appeal  for  aid,  with  the  cer- 
tainty of  success,  as  to  him. 

In  1786,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  the  State,  and  was  annually  re-elected  for  a  period  of  ten 
years.  In  May,  1796,  he  was  chosen  Governor — the  highest 
executive  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people  of  his  native  State. 
To  this  distinguished  position  he  was  again  elevated  at  the  an- 
nual election  in  1797.  He  was  now  seventy  years  of  age.  His 
naturally  robust  constitution  began  to  feel  the  weight  of  care 
and  responsibility  which  had  been  so  long  pressing  upon  it. 
He  departed  this  life  at  his  residence  in  Litchfield,  December 
1, 1797,  aged  71  years.  A  sermon  was  preached  at  his  funeral 
by  the  Rev.  Azel  Backus,  D.  D.,  which  was  published.  Gov- 
ernor Wolcott  had  long  been  a  professed  disciple  of  Christ,  and 
his  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  the  great  Atonement  sustained  him 


OLIVER   WOLCOTT.  143 

in  the  decisive  hour.  "  With  all  the  splendor  of  his  station 
and  his  well-earned  fame,"  says  Dr.  Backus,  "  he  was  not 
ashamed  to  pray  in  the  expressive  language  of  the  Publican, 
'  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,'  and  to  make  the  most  feel- 
ing declarations  of  his  own  personal  unworthiness.  For  several 
days  before  his  death,  the  shattered  remains  of  a  once  noble 
mind  and  vigorous  body  were  devoted  continually  to  God. 
His  very  breath  appeared  to  be  prayer,  until,  after  many 
painful  struggles,  he  fell  asleep.  0  Death  !  in  what  a  mortify- 
ing light  doth  thy  power  put  the  little  glory  of  this  diminutive 
world  !  To  what  insignificance  do  earthly  honors  dwindle, 
before  the  grandeur  of  eternity  !  Nevertheless,  the  death  of 
such  a  character  is  a  grievous  loss,  especially  under  the  present 
threatening  aspects  of  Divine  Providence,  and  the  perilous  sit- 
uation of  the  country.  Such  tried  characters  are  the  "  salt  of 
the  earth,"  and  the  pillars  of  our  national  existence.  The 
presence,  firmness,  counsels,  prayers  and  example  of  such 
Fathers,  should  be  esteemed  the  "  chariots  of  Israel  and  the 
liorsemen  thereof."  But  God  governs  the  world,  and  his  will 
is  done.  Let  it  be  the  solemn  care  of  each  one  of  us,  to  make 
a  profitable  improvement  of  the  frown  of  Heaven  in  this  remo- 
val." 

Joel  Barlow,  in  his  great  national  poem,  The  Co/iimbiad, 
thus  refers  to  his  zeal  and  efforts  in  the  cause  of  Independence  : 

"  Bold  Wolcott  urged  the  all-important  cause, 
With  steady  hand  the  solemn  scene  he  draws  ; 
Undaunted  firmness  with  his  wisdom  joined, 
Nor  kings  nor  worlds  could  warp  his  steadfast  mind." 

No  resident  of  the  town  ever  achieved  a  more  honorable  and 
wide  spread  fame,  than  Oliver  Wolcott — and  no  name  in  the 
historic  annals  of  the  Town  and  State  in  which  his  life  was 
passed,  is  more  earnestly  and  affectionately  cherished,  than 
his.  His  family  have  been  and  are  distinguished — some  for 
high  political  stations,  others  for  cnterprize  and  wealth,  some 
as  professional  or  literary  men — and  all,  for  their  liberality, 
sterling  moral  qualities,  and  exalted  social  position.  His 
mortal  remains  rest  in  our  East  Burying-Ground,  surrounded 
by  those  of  many  of  his  descendants  and  kindred. 


144  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Governor  Wolcott  married  Lorana  Collins,  of  Guilford,  in 
17.".')  ;  she  died,  April  10, 1791.  Their  children  were,  Oliver, 
(who  died  in  infancy,  and  was  interred  in  the  AVest  Burying- 
Gronnd ;)  Oliver,  2d,  (see  Biographical  Notes ;)  Lorana,  m. 
Hon.  William  Moseley,  M.  C.,  of  Hartford  ;  Mary  Ann,  m. 
Lieut.  Gov.  Goodrich,  of  Hartford  ;  Frederick,  (see  Biograph- 
ical Notes.)  Ursula  Wolcott,  (a  sister  of  Gov.  W.  next  older 
than  himself,)  married  Governor  Matthew  Griswold,  and  was 
the  mother  of  Governor  Roger  Griswold.  Thus,  her  father, 
brother,  lnisband,  son,  and  nephew,  were  all  Governors  of 
Connecticut ! — a  fact  which  cannot,  probably,  be  said  of  any 
other  lady  who  ever  lived  in  the  State  or  United  States. 

The  Honorable  ANDREW  ADAMS,  LL.  J>.,  (a  native  of 
Stratford,  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1760,) 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Litchfield  in  1774,  and 
continued  to  reside  here  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in 
November,  1797.  He  rose  rapidly  in  public  esteem,  and  was 
chosen  a  Representative  in  October,  1776 — a  post  to  which  he 
was  nine  times  re-elected.  A  friend  of  the  Revolution,  he  took 
a  prominent  part  in  its  favor  in  our  town  meetings,  and  by  his 
influence  and  efforts  did  much  to  promote  the  cause  of  the 
patriots  in  this  vicinity.  He  rose  to  the  rank  of  Colonel,  and 
was  -for  a  short  time  in  actual  service  in  the  war.  In  1779, 
and  again  in  1780,  he  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives— the  other  member  from  Litchfield,  (the  Hon. 
Jedediah  Strong,)  being  at  the  same  time  Clerk  of  the  House. 
Colonel  Adams  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Safety  two 
years,  a  member  Of  the  State  Council  nine  years,  a  member  of 
the  Continental  Congress  three  years,  a  Commissioner  of  the 
Northern  Congresses  at  Hartford  and  Providence  in  1780 ; 
an  Associate  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  four  years,  and 
Chief  Justice  from  1793  until  his  decease.  He  was  also  for  a 
few  years  a  Deacon  of  the  First  Church  in  this  town. 

The  body  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  rests  beneath  a  marble 
tablet  in  our  West  Burying-Ground.  His  epitaph  is  as  fol- 
lows:  "In  Memory  of  the  Hon.  Andrew  Adams,  Esq.,  Chief 
Judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  who  died  November  27,  1797, 
in  the  63d  year  of  his  age.     Having  filled  many  distinguished 


COLONEL    BEEBE.  145 

offices  with  great  Ability  and  Dignity,  lie  was  promoted  to  the 
highest  Judicial  Office  in  the  State,  which  he  held  for  several 
years,  in  which  his  eminent  Talents  shone  with  uncommon 
Lustre,  and  were  exerted  to  the  great  Advantage  o.f  the  Public 
and  the  honor  of  the  High  Court  in  which  he  presided.  He 
made  an  early  Profession  of  Religion,  and  zealously  sought  to 
promote  its  true  Interests.  He  lived  the  Life  and  died  the 
Death  of  a  Christian.  His  filial  Piety  and  paternal  tenderness 
are  held  in  sweet  Remembrance." 

Mrs.  Eunice  Adams,  his  wile,  died  June  4,  1797,  aged  53 
years. 

The  "  Litchfield  Monitor"  mentions  it  as  a  sad  and  singular 
coincidence,  that  Governor  Wolcott  and  Chief  Justice  Adams 
(the  two  highest  official  dignitaries  of  the  State,)  both  resi- 
ding in  the  same  village  and  on  the  same  street,  should  be  ly- 
ing apparently  at  the  point  of  death  at  the  same  time.  Gov- 
ernor Wolcott  survived  his  distinguished  neighbor  about  three 
days  only. 

The  children  of  Judge  Adams  were — 1.  Andiiew,Ji\,  who  m. 
Annis  Canfield,  of  Sharon,  and  had  two  daughters,  Cornelia, 
(wife  of  Dr.  Tomlinson  and  mother  of  the  Hon.  Theodore  E. 
Tomlinson,  of  New  York  city;)  and  Maria  C,  (wife  of  the 
late  Hon.  Henry  F.  Tallmadge.  Andrew  Adams,  Jr.,  died  in 
Litchfield  in  the  year  1806.  2.  Samuel,  died  also  in  L.,  un- 
married. 3.  Elijah,  (see  Biographical  Xotes.)  4.  Eunice, 
m.  Mr.  Masters.  5.  Polly,  m.  (perhaps)  Nathaniel  Lamson. 
6.  Lydia,  m.  Elias  Cowles,  merchant,  of  Litchfield,  afterward 
of  New  York  ;  the  Hon.  Edward  E.  Cowles,  late  Judge  of  the 
Marine  Court  in  that  city,  is  their  son. 

Colonel  BEZALEEL  BEEBE  was  born  in  Litchfield,  April 
28,  1741,  and  spent  his  life  in  his  native  town,  except  when 
absent  in  the  service  of  his  country.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  French  War,  and  marched  with 
Captain  Evarts'  company  to  Fort  George,  where  he  was  for 
some  time  stationed.     He  was  afterward  a  member  of  Major 

*T  have  s:  id  that  Judge  Adam-  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Litchfield  in 
1774.  The  indication*  are,  that  he  became  a  resident  here  some  eight  or  ten  years 
earlier  than  that  date.  An  Andrew  Adams  of  this  town  was  a  Commissioner  on  two 
estates  at  earlv  as  1766  ;  and  was  chosen  a  Lister  in  1772  and  1773. 

19 


146  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

• 

Rogers'  celebrated  corps  of  Rangers,  an  account  of  whose  ex- 
ploits was  published  in  London  by  their  heroic  commander ; 
and,  with  Rogers,  he  participated  in  the  engagement  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  Major  Israel  Putnam.  During  much 
of  the  succeeding  year,  he  was  stationed  at  Fort  Miller  under 
Captain  Whiting.  In  1760,  he  enlisted  in  a  company  com- 
manded by  Captain  McNeile,  of  Litchfield,  and  continued  in 
the  service  for  three  years — having  in  the  mean  time-  been 
chosen  one  of  the  Sergeants  of  the  company.  On  the  11th  of 
July,  1764,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Captain 
John  Marsh,  of  this  town,  and  settled  on  the  paternal  home- 
stead, north  of  Bantam  Lake,  which  is  still  owned  and  occupied 
by  his  descendants.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolutionary 
contest,  he  was  once  more  summoned  to  the  field — having  been 
commissioned  as  a  Lieutenant  in  the  first  recruits  raised  for 
that  service,  April,  1775.  He  forthwith  marched'  with  his 
company  to  Boston,  and  thence,  after  a  short  detention,  to 
Crown  Point,  where  he  was  transferred  to  the  Quartermaster's 
Department.  From  this  time  onward,  he  was  in  actual  ser 
vice  (except  while  detained  as  a  prisoner  of  war,)  until  the 
spring  of  1781,  at  which  time  he  applied  for  and  received  an 
honorable  discharge,  and  once  more  returned  home.  As  his 
distinguished  public  services  have  been  frequently  referred  to 
in  the  preceding  pages,  it  will  not  be  expected  that  I  should 
repeat  them  here.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  rose  to  the  rank 
of  Colonel  in  the  Continental  Army,  and  enjoyed  in  an  eminent 
degree  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  superiors  in  office  as 
well  as  of  the  soldiers  under  him.  While  chief  commander 
of  the  coast  guard  of  this  State,  he  performed  the  duties  and 
received  the  pay  of  a  Brigadier  General.  A  commanding  figure, 
and  a  peculiar  dignity  of  character  and  manner,  united  to  an 
innate  kindness  of  heart  and  a  courage  equal  to  any  emergency, 
contributed  to  render  him  an  efficient  and  popular  officer. 

He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
for  the  first  time  in  the  autumn  of  1781,  as  a  colleague  of  the 
Hon.  Jedediah  Strong,  and  was  re-elected  during  the  two  suc- 
ceeding years.  In  1788,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
was  ratified,  and   the  general  government  re-organized.     In 


JEDEDIAH    STRONG.  147 

1792,  '93  and  '05,  Colonel  Beebc  was  returned  to  the  Legisla- 
ture. He  also  served  his  fellow-citizens  as  a  Selectman  both 
before  and  after  the  war  ;  and  through  life,  was  much  em- 
ployed by  the  Court  of  Probate  in  settling  estates  of  persons 
deceased.  He  departed  this  life,  May  24,  1824,  aged  83 — bis 
widow  surviving  him  about  a  year.  Several  of  his  revolution- 
ary letters,  to  Governor  Trumbull,  General  Silliman,  etc.,  are 
preserved  among  the  "  Trumbull  Papers"  in  the  Library  of 
the  Mass.  Hist.  Soc,  Boston. 

Colonel  Becbe  had  six  children,  viz.,  1.  Sarah,  d.  unm'd. 
2.  Elizabeth,  m.  Joshua  Garrett,  of  Litchfield.  3.  Rebecca, 
m.  Reuben  Rockwell,  Esq.,  of  Colebrook,  and  had  children, 
among  whom  are,  the  Hon.  Julius  Rockwell,  late  U.  S.  Sena- 
tor from  Massachusetts,  the  Hon.  Reuben  Rockwell,  etc. 
4.  Ebenezer,  Major  United  States  Army.  5.  James,  settled 
in  Winchester,  Conn.,  where  he  was  three  times  elected  a*Rep- 
resentatives,  besides  being  twice  chosen  Senator  for  the  15th 
District.  In  1837,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Corporation  of 
Yale  College.  He  now  resides  in  Hartford,  Trumbull  co., 
Ohio.  6.  William,  settled  on  the  homestead  in  Litchfield 
where  he  still  resides  ;  besides  being  seven  times  a  Represen- 
tative, he  was  a  Senator  in  1845  ;  he  has  also  been  President 
of  the  Litchfield  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  President 
of  the  Litchfield  County  Foreign  Mission  Society,  <fec. 

The  Honorable  JEDEDIAH  STRONG  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, November  7th,  1738,  and  here  spent  his  entire  life.  He 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1761,  and,  with  a  single  excep- 
tion, he  was  the  first  native  of  the  town  who  ever  received  a 
collegiate  degree.  He  first  studied  divinity,  but,  being  early 
elected  to  office,  he  abandoned  the  sacred  profession  for  the 
more  congenial  pursuits  of  pettifogger  and  politician.  With 
in  fact  little  to  recommend  him  to  the  good  opinion  of  his  fel- 
low-townsmen, he  acquired  and  long  maintained  a  political 
ascendency  second  only  to  that  of  Wolcott  and  Adams.  An 
imperious  will  and  an  affectation  of  power,  and  a  happy  facul- 
ty of  being  at  the  same  time  "  all  things  to  all  men,"  no  doubt 
contributed  to  the  result.  A  diminutive  figure,  a  limping  gait, 
and  an  unpleasant  countenance,    were,   however,    in    some 


148  HI-TOR  V    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

measure  atoned  for  by  a  certain  degree  of  promptness  and  tact' 
in  the  discharge  of  public  business.  He  was  a  good  penman, 
familar  with  legal  forms,  and,  though  his  style  was  verbose 
and  complicated,  he  was  much  employed,  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  in  drafting,  compiling  and  recording  the  official 
transactions  of  public  bodies.  He  was  a  Representative  at 
about  thirty  regular  sessions  of  the  Legislature — at  fourteen 
of  which  he  was  Clerk  of  the  House.  In  May,  1773,  he  was 
appointed  (with  Roger  Sherman,  Eliphalet  Dyer,  Matthew 
Griswold  and  William  Samuel  Johnson,)  a  commissioner  to 
wait  on  Governor  Penn  at  Philadelphia,  to  negotiate  relative 
to  the  lands  west  of  the  Delaware.  In  May,  1779,  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  Delegate  to  the  Continental  Congress,  in  place  of  the 
Hon.  Stephen  Titus  Hosmer,  resigned ;  and  was  re-appointed 
in  the  October  following.  He  was  also  an  Associate  Judge  of 
the  County  Court  for  eleven  years,  a  member  of  the  Council 
of  Safety,  a  member  of  the  State  Council,  and  a  Delegate  to 
and  Secretary  of  the  Convention  which  ratified  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States.  He  was  a  Lister  six  years,  a  Select- 
man thirteen  years,  and  Town  Clerk  sixteen  years.  The  first 
wife  of  Judge  Strong  was  Ruth  Patterson,  who  died  leaving 
an  only  daughter,  Ida  Strong.  In  1788,  he  married  Susan- 
nah, daughter  of  the  Hon.  George  Wyllys,  Secretary  of  State, 
Hartford.  The  sequel  is  told  in  the  following  extract  from 
The  Monitor,  bearing  date  July  26,  1790 : 

"  Last  Saturday  se'nnight,  the  Hon.  Jedediah  Strong,  Esq., 
a  member  of  the  Council  of  State,  and  one  of  the  Judges  of 
the  County  Court  in  Litchfield,  was  arrested  upon  complaint 
of  his  wife,  and  brought  before  Tapping  Reeve,  Esq.,  for  trial. 
The  delinquent  requested  an  adjournment  that  he  might  pro- 
cure counsel,  and  the  Court  adjourned  to  Monday  last.  At  the 
time  of  trial,  the  concourse  of  people  made  it  necessary  to  ad- 
journ to  the  Court  House,  where,  after  full  enquiry,  it  appeared 
in  evidence  that  the  accused  had  often  imposed  unreasonable 
restraints  upon  his  wife,  and  withheld  from  her  the  comforts 
and  conveniences  of  life  ;  that  he  had  beat  her,  pulled  her  hair, 
kicked  her  out  of  bed,  and  spit  in  her  face  times  without  num- 
ber. Whereupon  the  Judge,  after  summing  up  the  testimony 
in  a  very  eloquent  and  masterly  manner,  pronounced  sentence 
that  the  delinqtient  should  become  bound  with  sureties  for  his 


JEDEDIAH   STRONG.  149 

good  behavior  toward  all  mankind,  and  especially  toward  his 
wife,  in  the  penal  sum  of  One  Thousand  Pounds,  and  to  ap- 
pear and  answer  the  charges  against  him  at  the  next  County 
Court.  Nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory  than  this  sentence, 
among  his  acquaintances  in  Litchfield  and  elsewhere,  who 
have  long  known  the  infamy  of  his  private  character,  while 
his  hypocrisy  and  intrigues  have  imposed  upon  the  good  peo- 
ple of  the  State  at  large." 

Several  subsequent  articles  appeared  in  the  Monitor,  both 
for  and  against  Judge  Strong.  The  trial  for  divorce  came  on 
in  New  Haven,  before  the  Council  of  State,  of  which  the  Judge 
was  himself  a  member,  and  resulted  in  granting  the  prayer  of 
the  petitioner.  From  this  time  his  career  was  downward.  He 
became  a  drunkard  and  a  beggar,  and  the  town  assisted  in  his 
support.  But  notwithstanding  his  degradation,  he  seems  to 
have  retained  to  the  very  last  an  earnest  affection  for  his 
daughter.  He  left  a  long  Will  in  her  favor,  which  may  be 
found  on  our  Probate  Records.  It  is  written  in  his  peculiar 
style,  and  is  a  curiosity— bearing  date,  March  31,  1801.  It 
is  mainly  occupied  with  pious  reflections  and  counsels  addressed 
to  his  daughter.  "  And  finally,"  he  adds,  "  that  worldly 
wealth  or  earthly  estate  which  it  hath  pleased  the  Universal 
Proprietor  to  commit  to  my  temporary  care  and  stewardship 
on  the  sublunary,  probationary  theater,  (or  the  remnant  frag- 
ments after  so.  much  spoliation  of  Envy,  Covetousness,  Op- 
pression, or  whatever  mistake  in  extreme  career  of  permitted 
human  vicissitude,)  my  most  mature  and  deliberate  option 
and  volition  is,  that  disposition  be  made  as  follows  :  I  recom- 
mend, give  and  bequeath,  to  my  beloved  daughter,  Ida  Strong, 
my  Bibles  and  inferior  Orthodox  Treatises  on  Religion  and 
Morality,  or  relative  or  appertaining  to  Vital  Piety  or  Practi- 
cal Godliness,  and  all  other  Books,  Pamphlets  or  Manuscripts, 
except  Romances,  if  any  be  left  extant,  which  I  have  long  since, 
(though  not  soon  enough,)  intentionally  consigned  or  destined 
to  deserved  oblivion  in  native  shades  of  chaos."  The  amount 
of  his  "  worldly  wealth,"  as  per  inventory,  was  $96  66;  while 
as  an  offset  to  this,  claims  against  him  to  the  amount  of  a  few 
hundred  dollars,  were  sent  in.  His  executors  were  Captain 
Thomas  Collier  (editor  of  the  Monitor,)   and  Ida  Strong. — 


150  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Judge  Strong  died  August  21,  1802,  aged  64,  and  was  interred 
in  our  West  Burying-Ground.  No  stone  marks  his  grave, 
and  the  precise  place  of  his  sepulture  is  unknown.  His  daugh- 
ter Ida  died  in  Rupert,  Vermont,  in  1804. 

Colonel  BENJAMIN  TALLMADGE  was  born  at  Brook- 
haven,  L.  I.,  February  25,  1754.  His  father,  who  bore  the 
same  name,  was  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  place  ;  and 
his  mother  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Smith,  pastor  of 
the  church  at  White  Plains.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  grad- 
uated at  Yale  College  in  1773.  While  superintendent  of  the 
High  School  at  Wethersfield,  in  this  State,  he  received  a 
Lieutenant's  commission,  with  the  appointment  of  Adjutant  of 
the  Regiment — both  commission  and  warrant  bearing  date 
June  20,  1776.  In  these  capacities  he  joined  the  army,  and 
continued  in  actual  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  On  the 
15th  of  December,  of  the  year  last  named,  he  received  a  Cap- 
tain's commission  in  (Sheldon's)  2d  Regiment  of  Light  Dra- 
goons. As  this  commission  came  from  General  Washington 
himself,  the  honor  was  conspicuous  and  highly  appreciated. 
He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major,  April  7,  1777,  and 
took  his  station  as  a  field  officer  of  the  regiment.  A  separate 
detachment  for  special  services  was  committed  to  him  several 
times  in  the  course  of  the  war,  on  which  occasions  he  received 
his  orders  directly  from  the  commander-in-chief.  On  the 
opening  of  the  spring  campaign,  1777,  General  Washington, 
foreseeing  that  General  Howe  meditated  some  decisive  blow, 
directed  that  all  recruits  should  be  sent  forward  to  head- 
quarters as  fast  as  they  were  collected.  He  also  sent  a  par- 
ticular order  to  Colonel  Sheldon  (who  was  at  his  winter 
quarters  in  Wethersfield,)  to  send  on  all  the  effective  men  of 
his  regiment.  Having  about  men  and  horses  enough  for  four 
companies,  they  were  placed  in  the  best  possible  order,  and  the 
command  given  to  Major  Tallmadge.  His  own  company  were 
all  mounted  on  dapple  gray  horses,  which,  with  black  straps 
and  black  bear-skin  holster  covers,  looked  superbly.  On  his 
route  to  Washington's  encampment  at  Middlebrook,  New  Jer- 
sey, he  passed  with  his  troops  through  Farmington,  Litchfield,* 

*  May  not  this  have  been  the  time  when  Father  Champion  gave  utterance  to  the 
remarkable  prayer  inserted  on  page  129  ? 


COLONEL   TALLMADGE.  151 

Kent,  Peckskill,  (where  he  crossed  the  Hudson,)  Haverstraw, 
Pompton,  and  Morristown — reaching  the  headquarters  of  the 
commander-in-chief  on  the  23d  of  June.  Major  Tallmadge 
participated  in  the  Battles  of  Short  Hills  and  the  Brandywine, 
though,  before  the  latter  engagement,  the  remainder  of  the 
regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel  Sheldon  in  person,  had  ar- 
rived. In  the  Battle  of  Germantown,  the  position  of  Major 
Tallmadge's  squadron  was  at  the  head  of  General  Sullivan's 
division,  on  the  left  of  the  center.  In  the  early  part  of  this 
sanguinary  engagement,  the  Americans  seemed  almost  certain 
of  success  ;  but  the  heavy  fog  which  soon  enveloped  both  ar- 
mies, prevented  them,  in  some  cases,  from  distinguishing  their 
friends  from  their  enemies.  They  were  thus  thrown  into 
confusion — a  panic  ensued — and  our  men  fled  in  every  direc- 
tion. By  order  of  General  Washington,  Major  Tallmadge 
repeatedly  threw  his  dragoons  across  the  principal  thorough- 
fare, to  check  the  retreat  of  the  infantry  ;  but  the  effort  was 
ineffectual. 

While  our  army  were  encamped  at  Valley  Forge  in  the 
gloomy  winter  of  1777— '8,  the  Major  was  stationed  with  a  de- 
tachment of  dragoons,  as  an  advanced  corps  of  observation 
between  our  army  and  that  of  the  enemy.  In  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duty,  he  scoured  the  country  between  the  Schuyl- 
kill and  Delaware  rivers — a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles — for 
the  double  purpose  of  watching  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
and  preventing  the  disaffected  from  carrying  provisions  to  the 
enemy  at  Philadelphia.  While  on  this  service,  he  was  attacked, 
about  two  o'clock  one  morning,  by  a  large  body  of  British 
light  horse  commanded  by  Lord  Rawdon,  and  after  defending 
himself  resolutely  for  awhile,  effected  his  escape  with  the  loss 
of  but  three  or  four  men  killed  and  as  many  more  wounded. 
While  temporarily  halting,  soon  after,  at  the  "  Rising  Sun" 
Inn,  within  sight  of  the  British  out-posts  at  Philadelphia,  a 
country  girl  arrived  from  the  city,  whither  she  had  been  sent 
with  egg*,  with  instructions  to  obtain  some  information  res- 
pecting the  enemy.  While  she  was  communicating  with  the 
Major  on  the  subject,  the  British  light  horse  were  seen  advan- 
ing.     In  an  instant  he  mounted  his  horse,  when  he  found  the 


152  BISTOBY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

poor  girl  at  his  side,  begging  him  to  protect  her.  Without  a 
moment  for  reflection,  he  told  her  to  mount  behind  him,  which 
she  did — and  in  this  way  they  rode  at  full  speed  to  German- 
town,  about  three  miles. 

After  taking  part  in  the  Battle  of  Monmouth,  and  in  the 
defense  of  Norwalk,  (Conn.,)  Major  Tallmadge  planned  and 
executed  an  expedition  against  the  enemy  at  Lloyd's  Neck,  on 
Long  Island.  Here  was  a  strongly  fortified  post,  manned  by 
about  five  hundred  troops — in  the  rear  of  which  post  a  large 
band  of  marauders  were  encamped.  For  the  purpose  of  break- 
ing up  this  band  of  freebooters,  he  embarked  at  Shipan  Point, 
near  Stamford,  September  5,  1779,  at  8  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
taking  with  him  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  The 
attack  was  so  unexpected,  that  nearly  the  whole  party  were 
captured.  Having  destroyed  the  boats  and  huts  of  the  enemy, 
the  party  re-embarked,  with  their  prisoners,  and  before  day- 
light landed  on  the  Connecticut  shore,  without  the  loss  of  a 
man. 

In  the  autumn  of  1780,  Major  T.  was  stationed  on  the  lines 
in  Westchester  county.  Returning  from  below  to  the  regi- 
ment, then  near  Northcastle,  on  the  evening  of  September  23d, 
he  was  informed  that  a  prisoner  had  that  day  been  brought  in, 
by  the  name  of  John  Anderson.  On  enquiry,  he  learned  the 
particulars  of  his  capture  by  three  militia-men,  Paulding,  Tan 
Wert  and  Williams.  He  further  ascertained  that  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Jameson,  (who,  in  the  absence  of  Colonel  Sheldon, 
then  had  command  of  the  dragoons,)  had  sent  the  prisoner  to 
General  Arnold's  headquarters,  accompanied  by  a  letter  of  in- 
formation respecting  his  capture.  At  the  respectful  but  ear- 
nest solicitations  of  Major  Tallmadge,  Anderson  was  brought 
back  to  Northcastle,  but  Jameson  persisted  in  sending  the  let- 
ter forward  to  General  Arnold.  The  observation  of  the  Major 
soon  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  the  prisoner  had  been  bred 
to  arms,  and  communicated  his  suspicions  to  Lieut.-Colonel 
Jameson — requesting  him  to  notice  his  gait,  especially  as  he 
turned  on  his  heel  to  retrace  his  course  across  the  room. — 
The  Major  remained  with  him  almost  constantly,  and  became 
deeply  interested  in  his  new  acquaintance.     After  dinner  on 


COLONEL   TALLMADGE.  153 

the  24th,  he  requested  the  use  of  pen,  ink  and  paper,  which 
were  readily  granted  him.  He  immediately  wrote  the  cele- 
brated letter  to  General  Washington,  in  which  he  acknowl- 
edged himself  to  be  "  Major  John  Andre,  Adjutant  General 
to  the  British  Army:'  This  letter  he  handed  unopened  to 
Major  Tallmadge,  who  read  it  with  deep  emotion.  The  sad 
and  important  sequel  of  the  story  is  familiar  to  every  reader. 
A  court  martial  of  fourteen  general  officers  (General  Greene 
presiding,)  adjudged  him  to  be  a  spy  from  the  enemy,  and  that, 
"  agreeable  to  the  law  and  usage  of  nations,  he  ought  to  suffer 
death."  At  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  October  2d,  Major 
John  Andre  died  on  a  gibbet,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense 
concourse  of  sympathizing  people.  His  military  suit  having 
arrived  from  Xew  York,  he  was  executed  in  full  uniform. 
Major  Tallmadge  walked  with  him  from  his  place  of  confine- 
ment to  the  foot  of  the  scaffold,  where  he  bade  him  an  affec- 
tionate farewell.  Years  subsequently,  he  wrote — "  I  became 
so  deeply  attached  to  Major  Andre,  that  I  can  remember  no 
instance  where  my  affections  were  so  fully  absorbed  in  any 
man.  When  I  saw  him  swinging  under  the  gibbet,  it  seemed 
for  a  time  as  if  I  could  not  support  it.  All  the  spectators 
seemed  to  be  overwhelmed  by  th^  affecting  spectacle,  and  the 
eyes  of  many  were  suffused  in  tears." 

In  the  autumn  of  1780,  Major  Tallmadge  requested  permis- 
sion of  the  commander-in-chief  to  attempt  the  destruction  of 
the  enemy's  works  at  Smith's  Manor,  Long  Island — but  the 
General  regarded  the  expedition  as  too  hazardous  to  be  under- 
taken. Major  T.  did  not,  however,  abandon  the  project,  but 
secretly  visited  Long  Island  for  the  purpose  of  making  obser- 
vations and  gaining  information.  On  his  return,  he  made  an- 
other application,  and  obtained  the  consent  of  General  Wash- 
ington. On  the  21st  of  November,  with  one  hundred  dis- 
mounted dragoons,  he  embarked  at  Fairfield — crossed  the 
Sound,  and  march  toward  Fort  George,  on  south  side  of  Long 
Island.  The  garrison  was  surprized  and  captured — the  works 
were  demolished,  and  the  houses,  shipping,  and  an  immense 
quantity  of  stores,  were  burnt.  Some  valuable  articles  of  dry- 
goods  were  made  up  in  bundles  and  bound  upon  the  shoulders 

20 


154  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

of  the  prisoners,  who  were  pinioned  two  and  two.  The  victors 
then  re-crossed  the  island  to  their  boats,  with  their  prisoners 
and  booty.  While  the  main  body  was  thus  on  the  march, 
the  Major  selected  eight  or  ten  men,  mounted  them  on  horses 
which  he  had  taken  at  the  Fort,  and  made  a  digression  for  the 
purpose  of  destroying  the  king's  magazine  at  Coram — which 
he  accomplished — and,  in  the  course  of  an  hour  and  a  half, 
joined  his  associates  at  a  place  where  he  had  ordered  them  to 
halt.  The  whole  company  arrived  in  Fairfield — only  one  per- 
son engaged  in  the  expedition  having  been  seriously  wounded. 
Among  the  prisoners  taken  were  one  lieutenant-colonel,  one 
lieutenant,  one  surgeon,  about  fifty  rank  and  file,  and  a  host 
of  others  in  the  garrison.  For  this  daring  and  successful  ex- 
ploit, Major  Tallmadge  received  the  public  thanks  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief and  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

He  continued  in  actual  service  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  was  engaged  in  several  other  desperate  enterprizes.  Our 
article,  however,  is  already  too  long,  and  we  must  close  the 
narrative  of  his  revolutionary  services  with  the  relation  of  a 
single  additional  fact.  From  1778  to  1783,  an  important  and 
confidential  correspondence  was  carried  on  between  General 
Washington  and  Major  Tallmtidge,  a  large  part  of  which  is  still 
in  possession  of  the  Tallmadge  family. 

In  November,  1782,  he  purchased  of  Mr.  Thomas  Sheldon, 
(for  the  sum  of  £800,)  the  premises  in  North  street  in  this  vil 
lage,  still  known  as  The  Tallmadge  Place.  In  the  purchase- 
deed  of  this  property  he  is  styled  "  late  of  Long  Island,  now  of 
the  Continental  Army."  He  continued  in  the  public  service 
about  a  year  longer,  when  the  army  was  disbanded,  and  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  retired  to  private  life  with  the  rank  of 
Colonel.  Before  separating,  the  officers  of  the  army  formed 
themselves  into  a  national  association  called  The  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati,  of  which  Washington  was  chosen  the  first  Presi- 
dent. At  the  same  time,  a  similar  Society  was  formed  for  each 
State.  Colonel  Tallmadge  was  chosen  the  first  Treasurer  and 
subsequent  President  of  the  Connecticut  Society. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1784,  Colonel  Tallmadge  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mary  Floyd,   (daughter  of  General  William 


COLONEL   TALLMADGE.  155 

Floyd,  of  Mastic,  L.  I.,  a  Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence,) and  at  once  took  up  his  residence  in  this  village. 
Here  he  engaged  extensively  and  successfully  in  merchandiz- 
ing until  1801,  when  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States.  For  a  period  of  sixteen  years,  (by  re- 
election every  two  years,)  he  held  his  seat  in  that  distinguished 
body.  Once  more  retiring  from  public  life,  he  devoted 
himself  with  even  more  than  his  usual  zeal,  to  the  advancement 
of  every  good  cause.  For  many  years  he  was  an  officer  and 
liberal  benefactor  of  various  charitable  institutions  and  socie- 
ties ;  while  his  contributions  to  the  needy  in  his  own  town 
were  much  more  frequent  and  extensive  than  were  known  to 
the  public. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1805,  Mrs.  Mary  Tallmadge  died  in 
Litchfield,  leaving  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  viz.,  William 
S.,  Henry  F.,  Maria,  Frederick  A.,  Benjamin,  Harriet  W.,  and 
George  W.  May  3d,  1808,  Colonel  Tallmadge  married  Maria, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Hallett,  Esq.,  of  New  York.  He  died  at 
his  residence  in  this  village,  March  13,  1835,  in  the  82d  year 
of  his  age.  The  Sermon  preached  at  his  funeral  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Hickok,  was  published. 

Colonel  Tallmadge  possessed  a  tall  and  portly  figure,  and  a 
courtesy  and  dignity  of  manner,  which  seem  to  have  belonged 
peculiarly  to  the  era  in  which  he  lived.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  as  accessible  to  the  humblest  as  he  was  the  highest  in  the 
land.  All  loved  and  reverenced  him.  The  old  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution  were  wont  to  seek  his  assistance  and  advice — and 
they  were  ever  received  with  cordiality,  and  their  wishes 
attended  to.  Officers,  also,  of  every  grade,  frequently  visited 
him,  and  never  failed  to  meet  with  a  hospitable  welcome. 
There  are  persons  yet  living,  who  recollect  the  interesting  and 
affecting  interview  between  him  and  Lafayette,  at  New  Haven, 
where  they  met  in  1824,  after  a  separation  of  more  than  forty 
years.  They  embraced  and  wept,  as  they  recurred  to  the  try- 
ing scenes  through  which  they  had  passed  and  the  many  chan- 
ges which  time  had  wrought,  since,  in  the  ardency  of  youth, 
they  had  parted  on  a  distant  battle-field. 


15G  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

The  beautiful  homestead  where  Colonel  Tallmadge  spent 
more  than  fifty  years  of  his  life,  adjoins  that  where  his  com- 
rade in  arms,  Colonel  Sheldon,  spent  his  childhood,  youth  and 
early  manhood. 

The  Honorable  TAPPING  REEVE,  LL.  D.,  became  a 
resident  of  Litchfield  in  1772,  and  spent  more  thanjiftg  years 
of  his  life  in  this  town.  A  son  of  the  Rev.  Abner  Reeve  of 
Southold,  Long  Island,  he  was  born  in  that  place  in  October, 
1744.  He  graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1763, 
and  spent  four  years  as  a  tutor  in  that  institution.  On  the  24th 
of  June  1773,  he  married  Sally  Burr,  a  daughter  of  President 
Burr  of  New  Jersey  College,  and  a  grand-daughter  of  the  re- 
nowned President  Edwards.  So  long  as  she  lived,  she  was  an 
invalid,  and  for  many  years  her  husband  spent  a  large  portion 
of  his  time  in  ministering  to  her  wants.  "  Though  his  domes- 
tic afflictions  withheld  him  from  the  active  scenes  of  the  Rev- 
olution," says  Dr.  Beecher,  in  his  Funeral  Discourse,  "none 
entered  more  deeply  into  his  country's  cause  than  he.  He 
shared  with  his  generation  all  the  vicissitudes,  hopes,  fears, 
self-denials  and  losses,  of  that  arduous  day.  He  possessed, 
though  in  early  life,  the  confidence,  and  participated  in  the 
counsels,  of  the  wise  and  great  and  good  men  of  that  era  ;  and, 
at  the  moment  of  greatest  dismay,  when  Washington  fled  with 
his  handful  of  troops  through  the  Jersies,  and  orders  came  for 
New  England  to  turn  out  en  masse  and  make  a  diversion  to 
save  him,  the  Judge  was  among  the  most  ardent  to  excite  the 
universal  movement,  and  actually  went  in  the  capacity  of  an 
officer  to  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  where  the  news  met  them 
of  the  victories  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  and  once  more 
Washington  and  the  country  were  delivered."  At  one  time, 
he  had  the  honor  of  entertaining  at  his  house  in  this  village, 
General  LaFayette  and  some  of  his  brother  officers,  who  were 
passing  through  this  region  on  important  public  business.  In 
1784,  he  opened  his  celebrated  Law  School,  of  which  he  was 
the  Principal  for  nearly  forty  years.  Though  fitted  to  shine  in 
public  life,  and  though  official  honors  were  always  within  his 
reach,  he  seems  rather  to  have  shunned  than  sought  promotion. 
He  was  once  elected  a  Representative,  and  once  only  a  mem- 


CHIEF    JUSTICE    REEVE.  157 

oer  of  the  Council.  He  was  an  enthusiast  in  his  profession, 
and  had  indeed  hut  little  taste  for  anything  else  of  a  secular 
nature.  In  1798,  he  was  appointed  a  Judge  of  the  Superior 
Court  and  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Errors.  Here  his  peculiar 
talents  found  ample  scope  for  their  full  development.  Until 
the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1818,  all  our  Judges  were 
elected  annually  by  the  Legislature.  Judge  Reeve  gave  such 
universal  satisfaction,  that  he  continued  to  be  re-appointed  from 
year  to  year  until  1814,  when  he  was  promoted  to  the  office  of 
Chief  Justice.  On  reaching  the  age  of  seventy  years,  he  retired 
to  private  life — still,  however,  devoting  much  of  his  time  to 
his  favorite  Law  School.  He  died  here,  December  13, 1823, 
in  the  80th  year  of  his  age.  He  was  eminently  distinguished 
for  his  piety  and  learning.  In  seasons  of  revival,  and  indeed 
at  all  times,  no  layman  in  the  parish  was  so  efficient  as  a  co- 
laborer  with  the  pastor,  as  Judge  Reeve. 

Mrs.  Sally  Reeve  died  soon  after  the  war,  leaving  an  only 
son,  Aaron  Burr  Reeve.  The  latter,  died  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in 
1809,  leaving  an  only  son,  Tapping  Burr  Reeve)  who  received 
his  first  degree  at  Yale  College  in  1829,  and  died  the  same 
year.  With  him  the  family  of  Judge  Reeve  became  extinct. 
April  30,  1798,  the  Judge  married  a  second  wife — Betsey 
Thompson — who  survived  him  a  few  years. 

Major  MOSES  SEYMOUR  was  born  in  Hartford,  July 
23,  1742,  and  became  a  resident  of  Litchfield  in  early  man- 
hood. Early  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  he  was  commissioned 
as  Captain  of  the  troop  of  horse  attached  to  the  17th  regiment 
of  Connecticut  militia.  In  June,  1776,  Elisha  Sheldon,  Esq., 
of  Salisbury,  was  appointed  Major-Commandant  of  the  Fifth 
Regiment  of  Cavalry ;  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
the  appointment  of  Captain  of  one  of  the  companies  of  this 
regiment.  Though  Major  Sheldon  was  subsequently  trans- 
ferred to  the  command  of  the  Second  Regiment  of  Dragoons 
in  the  continental  army,  Captain  Seymour  retained  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Fifth  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  April,  1777,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Danbury  Alarm,  Cap- 
tain Seymour  mustered  his  troops  and  proceeded  forthwith  to 
assist  in  repelling  the  invason  of  Governor  Tryon.     He  parti- 


158  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

cipated  in  the  skirmishing  which  followed  the  retreat  of  the 
enemy  toward  the  Sound.  At  the  capture  of  Burgoyne,  in 
October  of  the  same  year,  he  was  once  more  at  the  head  of 
his  favorite  corps,  and  did  good  service  in  that  most  important 
and  decisive  engagement.  A  day  or  two  after  the  terms  of 
capitulation  were  signed,  the  American  officers  invited  Bur- 
goyne and  his  associate-officers  to  dine  with  them.  At  this 
interesting  festival  Captain  Seymour  was  present.  His  ac- 
count of  the  conversations  that  took  place  on  the  occasion,  be- 
tween the  conquerors  and  the  conquered,  and  particularly  his 
minute  recital  of  the  toasts  given  on  both  sides,  are  still  re- 
membered with  interest  by  his  neighbors.  The  utmost  cour- 
tesy and  good  feeling  prevailed  on  the  part  of  the  principal 
officers,  and  the  responses  to  the  sentiments  given  were  hearty 
and  enthusiastic.  At  length,  General  Burgoyne  was  called 
upon  for  a  toast.  Every  voice  was  for  the  moment  hushed  into 
the  deepest  attention,  as  he  arose  and  gave — "  America  and 
Great  Britain  against  the  world  /"  The  response  which  fol- 
lowed may  be  imagined. 

During  the  night  which  succeeded  the  final  battle  between 
Generals  Gage  and  Burgoyne,  Captain  Seymour  watched  with 
a  British  officer  who  had  been  wounded  and  carried  off  the 
field  in  the  midst  of  the  engagement.  Soon  after  he  had  en- 
tered the  room,  the  officer,  who  had  not  before  learned  the 
fate  of  the  day,  enquired  eagerly  of  Captain  S.  as  to  the  result. 
On  hearing  that  the  British  had  been  defeated,  he  remarked 
— "  Then  the  contest  is  no  longer  doubtful ;  America  will  be 
independent.  I  have  fought  earnestly  for  my  king  and  country, 
but  the  contest  is  ended  !"  The  kindness  of  Captain  Seymour 
to  him,  an  enemy,  deeply  affected  him.  He  thanked  him  again 
and  again  ;  and  finally  offered  him  his  watch  and  other  rewards, 
which  were  of  course  refused.  The  gallant  American  did  all 
in  his  power  to  relieve  the  distresses  and  soothe  the  mind  of 
his  charge — but  his  wounds  proved  fatal. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  war,  Captain  Seymour  was 
stationed  at  Litchfield  as  a  Commissary  of  Supplies  for  the 
army.  In  this  department  of  the  public  service,  his  zeal  and 
efficiency  were  conspicuous,  and  duly  appreciated  by  Governor 


MAJOR   SEYMOUR.  159 

Trumbull,  General  Wolcott,  and  others.  Few  men  in  this 
section  of  the  State  labored  as  untiringly  or  accomplished  more. 
I  have  elsewhere  stated  that  Litchfield  was  a  depot  for  military 
stores  and  provisions.  Captain  Seymour  was  employed  not 
only  in  the  purchase  of  these  articles,  but  assisted  in  storing 
and  guarding  them  while  here,  and  in  superintending  their 
transportation  wherever  they  might  be  ordered  by  the  com- 
petent authorities.  In  September,  1781,  we  find  him  with 
his  dragoons,  by  order  of  General  Wolcott,  guarding  a  train 
of  wagons  loaded  with  supplies  for  the  French  Army,  from 
Litchfield  to  Fishkill.* 

With  the  Peace  of  1783,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  retired 
to  private  life  with  the  rank  of  Major.  In  1789,  he  was  elec- 
ted by  his  fellow-citizens  to  the  office  of  Town  Clerk — a  post 
to  which  he  was  annually  re-elected  during  the  remainder  of 
his  life,  a  period  of  thirty-seven  years  !  This  uninterrupted 
bestowment  of  au  office  upon  one  individual  for  so  long  a 
time,  is  unprecedented  in  the  history  of  the  town.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  at  sixteen 
regular  sessions,  commencing  with  the  October  session,  1795. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  Major  Seymour  was 
occasionally  a  candidate  of  the  political  party  with  which  he 
was  connected,  for  the  Council  of  State.  In  1805  he  received 
7,426  votes,  and  at  the  election  of  the  succeeding  year  he  re- 
ceived 7,671  votes,  for  that  office. 

Major  Seymour  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  retaining 
to  the  last  the  manners  and  costume  of  that  now  obsolete  class. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1771,  he  married  Molly,  daughter 
of  Colonel  Ebenezcr  Marsh,  and  had  five  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter— the  latter  alone  surviving  at  the  present  time.     Of  these 

*  The  French  Commissary,  Jujardy  N.  Granville,  (who  appears  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  our  language,)  left  the  following  curious 
acknowledgment  of  the  service,  which  is  on  file  in  the  Comptroller's  Office  : 

"  We,  Commissary  of  War,  employed  in  the  Army  of  Rochambeau,  Certified 
that  the  Detachment  composed  of  24  Dragons  or  Light  Horses  commanded  by 
Mr.  Moses  Seymour,  capitaine,  came  on  with  our  teams  and  stores  from  Litchfield. 
We  certified  beside  that  the  said  Capitain  Moses  has  taken  a  great  care  for  the 
security  of  our  convoy  and  bagage  while  hestav  with  us  till  this  place. 

JUJARDY  N.  GRANVILLE. 

Fishkill,  Sep  22,  1781." 


160  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

five  sons,  one  became  distinguished  as  a  financier  and  Bank 
Presidenl  ;  two  became  High  Sheriffs  of  this  County  ;  one  was 
a  Representative,  Senator,  and  Canal  Commissioner,  in  the 
State  of  New  York  ;  and  one  was  for  twelve  years  a  United 
States  Senator  from  Vermont — the  most  remarkable  family  of 
sons  ever  raised  in  Litchfield.  The  daughter,  Clarissa  Sey- 
mour, married  the  Rev.  Truman  Marsh,  for  many  years  Rec- 
tor of  St.  Michael's  Church  in  this  town. 

Major  Seymour  died  at  his  residence  in  this  village,  Sept. 
17,  1826,  in  the  84th  year  of  his  age.  His  remains  rest  in  our 
East  Burying-Ground. 

There  is  yet  another  name  which  I  would  mention  with 
respect  in  this  connection — that  of  ELISHA  MASON,  the  last 
of  the  Revolutionary  Soldiers  in  Litchfield.  With  a  patriot- 
ism as  unquestioned  and  a  zeal  as  ardent  as  can  be  claimed  for 
the  most  renowned  of  our  heroes,  he  performed  the  humbler 
duties  of  his  sphere  as  faithfully  as  they,  though  all  uncheered 
by  the  hope  of  fame  or  pecuniary  reward.  He  died  in  this 
village,  June  1,  1858,  in  the  100th  year  of  his  age.  I  fre- 
quently had  occasion  to  consult  him  on  matters  of  local  inter- 
est, and  found  his  mind  clear  and  his  memory  retentive  almost 
to  the  last.  He  seemed  like  one  who  had  come  down  to  us 
from  a  distant  generation.  In  the  last  interview  I  had  with 
him,  (January  18,  1858,)  he  assured  me  that  he  well  remem- 
bered the  first  meeting-house  ever  built  in  this  town,  and  which 
was  demolished  when  he  was  about  three  and  a  half  years  old. 
He  also  recollected  the  old  fort  which  occupied  the  site  of  the 
present  Court  House,  as  well  at  that  which  stood  on  Chestnut 
Hill — both  of  which  were  erected  as  a  defense  against  the  In- 
dians. In  the  great  struggle  for  Independence,  he  had  periled 
his  life  in  the  cause  of  his  country.  And  what  was  his  re- 
ward ?  On  one  occasion,  at  the  expiration  of  a  term  of  service, 
he  was  discharged  on  the  Hudson,  and  paid  off  in  continental 
currency.  Starting  homeward  on  foot,  he  reached  Danbury, 
where  he  spent  the  night.  In  the  morning,  on  attempting  to 
settle  his  bill,  his  continental  money  was  refused.  He  offer- 
ed larger  and  still  larger  sums — and  finally  tendered  bills  to 
the  amount  of  forty  dollars,  for  his  lodging  and  meals  ;  but  the 


ELISHA   MASON.  161 

landlord  refused  to  take  the  currency  on  any  terms.  Mr. 
Mason  was  finally  compelled  to  pawn  his  rifle  to  cansel  his  in- 
debtness.  As  his  wages  were  but  eight  dollars  per  month,  he 
thus  offered  the  avails  of  five  months'  services  for  his  keeping 
for  twelve  hours  !  But  though  so  poorly  requited  by  the 
country  for  which  he  had  fought,  the  soldier  lived  to  enjoy  the 
blessings  of  a  free  government,  and  in  bequeathing  them  as  a 
rich  legacy  to  his  posterity,  he  felt  himself  abundantly  repaid 
for  all  his  toils  and  privations. 

Ten  years  ago,  many  an  active  participant  in  the  stirring 
events  of  that  great  contest  which  resulted  in  the  freedom  of 
America,  still  lingered  with  us ;  and  many  a  story  of  personal 
adventure  was  told,  at  many  a  fire-side  circle,  to  eager  listeners. 
Now,  alas  !  the  lips  of  those  venerable  men  are  forever  sealed. 
Henceforth  their  chivalric  deeds  will  live  only  in  uncertain 
Tradition,  or  in  the  results  which  an  all-wise  Providence  shall 
cause  to  flow  from  them.  While  enjoying  the  rich  blessings 
which  they  assisted  in  achieving  and  transmitting  to  us,  let  us 
not  fail  to  cherish  their  memory  and  emulate  their  potriotism. 


21 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PROGRESS   AND    IMPROVEMENT. 

Though  descendants  of  the  puritans,  and  perhaps  somewhat 
puritanic  themselves,  the  first  settlers  of  Litchfield  and 
their  immediate  successors  were  not  of  that  class  who  pro- 
scribed wholesome  amusement  and  recreation.  Their  man- 
ners and  customs  were  indeed  simple.  Industry  and  frugality 
were  regarded  as  essential  requisites.  As  already  intimated, 
every  man  was  from  necessity  a  soldier  and  a  hunter  ;  and 
the  duties  incumbent  upon  him  in  these  capacities  were  full 
of  bold  adventure  and  healthful  excitement.  Where  game 
was  so  abundant,  a  hardy  and  athletic  people  like  our  fathers 
could  not  have  wanted  for  sport.  Our  streams  and  lakes,  too, 
with  their  teeming  abundance,  afforded  pleasant  and  profita- 
ble employment  for  such  as  had  no  better  business. 

Husking-Parties,  Apple-Bees,  Raisings,  Quiltings,  "Weddings, 
Spinning-Parties,  and  Balls,  were  made  occasions  of  hilarity 
and  social  good-cheer — though  generally  conducted  with  rus- 
tic simplicity  and  the  strictest  regard  to  economy.  Mr.  Mor- 
ris says — "  When  young  people  of  both  sexes  assembled  to- 
gether for  amusement,  they  employed  themselves  principally 
in  dancing,  while  one  of  the  company  sang-.  The  first  use  of 
the  violin  in  this  town  for  a  dance,  was  in  the  year  1748.  The 
whole  expense  of  the  amusement,  although  the  young  people' 
generally  assembled,  did  not  exceed  one  dollar,  out  of  which 
the  fiddler  was  paid  !  When  this  instance  of  profusion  took 
place,  parents  and  old  people  exclaimed  that  they  should  be 
ruined  by  the  extravagance  of  the  youth.  In  1798,"  continues 
the  same  writer,  "  a  ball,  with  the  customary  entertainment 
and  variety  of  music,  cost  about  $160,  and  nothing  was  said 
about  it.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred  from  this  difference,  that 
our  youth  had  become  more  vicious  than  formerly  ;  but  it 


r]     !HiMu»£»».e.    .        ■    ' 


d7^,^9^U^ 


THE   STOLEN   BRIDE.  163 

serves  to  show  a  material  change  in  the  wealth  and  character 
of  the  people." 

Tradition  yet  tells  of  the  festivities  and  merry-makings  that 
took  place  on  Litchfield  Hill,  when,  a  short  time  before  the 
Revolution,  a  gallant  young  officer  of  the  militia  led  to  the 
hymenial  altar  the  accomplished  daughter  of  one  of  the  mag- 
nates of  the  town  ;  and  how,  in  the  midst  of  their  rejoicings, 
the  bride  was  mysteriously  spirited  away,  and  borne  on  horse- 
back to  a  quiet  inn  in  Northfield  ;  with  what  fleetness,  on  that 
bright  autumnal  evening,  the  bridegroom  and  his  attendants 
rushed  over  the  eastern  hills  to  the  rescue ;  how,  on  their  arri- 
val, the  little  inn  was  suddenly  illuminated,  the  violin  struck 
up  a  merry  tune,  the  dance  commenced,  and  the  festive-board 
was  spread ;  and  how,  an  hour  or  two  later,  the  cavalcade, 
like  a  triumphal  procession,  returned  to  the  village.  Long 
years  thereafter,  when  the  wars  with  the  mother-country  were 
over  and  a  grateful  people  were  enjoying  the  liberties  which 
that  bridegroom,  on  the  battle-field  and  in  the  council-chamber, 
had  assisted  in  achieving,  the  venerable  couple  would  some- 
times tell,  to  their  children  and  their  children's  children,  the 
story  of  the  "  stolen  bride." 

The  establishment  of  the  Litchfield  Law  School  by  Judge 
Reeve,  in  1784,  and  the  Litchfield  Monitor  (a  weekly  news- 
paper,) by  Mr.  Thomas  Collier,  during  the  same  year,  affords 
indication  of  the  growing  importance  of  the  town,  and  at  the 
same  time  tended  to  give  it  a  wider  reputation.  The  intelligence 
and  social  position  of  its  inhabitants,  no  less  than  the  beauty 
of  its  location,  drew  hither  the  wealthy  and  distinguished  from 
abroad — some,  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  the  congenial  quiet 
of  the  place  ;  others,  to  participate  in  its  superior  educational 
advantages.  New  and  more  fashionable  pastimes  were  now 
introduced  among  our  people.  In  May,  1785,  several  Theat- 
rical Performances  came  off  in  this  village,  the  principal  char- 
acters being  sustained  by  students  of  Yale  College.  The  Mon- 
itor says — "  Distinguished  Merit  and  literary  Ability  were  so 
evidently  conspicuous  and  amply  displayed  on  the  Occasion, 
as  would  have  done  Honour  to  a  British  Theatre."  In  July, 
1787,  Mr.  Pool,  an  American  Circus-Rider,  announced  that  he 


164  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

would  give  an  exhibition  "in  Mr.  Buel's  Orchard,  Litchfield." 
In  November,  1789,  Shakspeare's  Plays  were  performed  in 
"Mr.  Buel's  Ball-Room,"  by  a  company  of  strolling  actors; 
and  about  the  same  time,  "  the  Surprizing  Performances  of 
the  celebrated  John  Brannan  and  wife,  from  Dublin,  in  the 
Curious  and  Ingenious  Art  of  dancing  on  the  Slack-Wire," 
was  advertized. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  last  century,  the  Hon.  Messrs.  Tracy 
and  Allen,  both  of  Litchfield,  were  in  Congress  at  the  same 
time  with  the  Hon.  Chauncey  Goodrich,  whose  wife  was  a 
Litchfield  lady — a  daughter  of  Governor  Wolcott.  During 
the  same  period,  also,  the  Hon.  Oliver  Wolcott,  Jr.,  of  this 
town,  (then  a  member  of  the  Cabinet,)  was  residing  at  the  seat 
of  government  with  his  family.  Thus,  the  talent  and  beauty 
of  Litchfield,  (botli  of  which  had  by  this  time  become  famous,) 
formed  quite  an  element  in  the  society  of  the  national  capital. 
An  anecdote  of  General  Tracy  has  been  preserved,  commemo- 
rative at  once  of  Mrs.  Wolcott's  attractions  and  his  own  pecul- 
iar wit.  Mr.  Liston,  the  then  British  Ambassador,  who  was 
thoroughly  English  in  his  ideas,  on  some  occasion  said  to  him, 
"  Your  countrywoman,  Mrs.  Wolcott,  would  be  admired  even 
at  St.  James."  "£«>,"  retorted  the  Senator  from  Connecticut, 
she  is  admired  even  on  Litchfield  HUH" 

Of  the  object  of  "  Sabbath-Day  Houses,"  I  have  already  spo- 
ken. The  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  in  an  address  on  the 
anniversary  of  the  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  delivered  in  New 
York,  December  20,  1853,  alluded  incidentally  to  the  opposi- 
tion made  to  the  introduction  of  stoves  into  the  old  meeting- 
house in  Litchfield  during  the  ministry  of  his  father.  This 
allusion  called  \ip  divers  reminiscences  of  the  fierce  war  that 
was  waged  on  the  occasion.  A  New  York  correspondent  of 
the  Enquirer  thus  wrote — "  When  the  heresy  was  broached, 
you  probably  recollect  the  intense  excitement  that  prevailed 
on  Litchfield  Hill.  The  parties  were  formed — the  Stove  Party 
and  the  Anti-Stove  Party.  For  a  time  the  storm  raged  fear- 
fully ;  but  the  Stove  Party  at  length  triumphed,  and  on  the 
following  Sabbath  the  stove  was  in  its  place."  The  writer 
then  proceeds  to  give  the  results.     One  maiden  lady,  of  the 


THE   STOVE   CONTROVERSY.  165 

anti-stove  party,  "  commenced  fanning  herself,  and  at  length 
apparently  swooned  away" — declaring,  when  she  recovered, 
that  "  the  heat  of  that  horrid  stove  had  caused  her  to  faint." 
The  Cleveland  (Ohio)  Herald  copied  Mr.  Beecher's  remarks, 
adding — "  We  have  a  Litchficlder  right  by  us,  who  remembers 
all  about  that  stove,  and  its  advent  into  the  old  meeting-house 
on  Litchfield  Hill" — and  the  editor  proceeds  to  give  the  recol- 
lections of  the  gentleman  referred  to.  The  editor  of  the  Hart- 
ford Daily  Courant  appended  the  following  remarks : 

"  Now  we  have  a  word  to  say  in  the  matter.  Violent  opposition 
had  heen  made  to  the  introduction  of  a  stove  into  the  old  meeting- 
house, and  an  attempt  made  in  vain  to  induce  the  Society  to  purchase 
one.  The  writer  was  one  of  seven  young  men  who  finally  purchased 
a  stove,  and  requested  permission  to  put  it  up  in  the  meeting-house 
on  trial.  After  much  difficulty,  the  committee  consented.  It  was 
all  arranged  on  .Saturday  at'iernoon,  and  on  Sunday  we  took  our  seat 
in  the  Bass,  rather  earlier  than  usual,  to  see  the  fun.  It  was  a  warm 
November  Sunday,  in  which  the  sun  shone  cheerfully  and  warmly 
on  the  old  south  steps  and  into  the  naked  windows.  The  stove  stood 
in  the  middle  aisle,  rather  in  front  of  the  Tenor  Gallery.  People 
came  in  and  stared.  Good  old  Deacon  Trowbridge,  one  of  the  most 
simple-hearted  and  worthy  men  of  that  generation,  had,  as  Mr.  Beech- 
er  says,  been  induced  to  give  up  his  opposition.  He  shook  his  head, 
however,  as  he  felt  the  heat  reflected  from  it,  and  gathered  up  the 
skirts  of  his  great-coat  as  he  passed  up  the  broad  isle  to  the  Deacon's 
Seat.  Old  Uncle  Noah  Stone,  a  wealthy  farmer  of  the  West  End, 
who  sat  near,  scowled  and  muttered  at  the  effects  of  the  heat,  but 
waited  until  noon,  to  utter  his  maledictions  over  his  nut-cakes  and 
cheese  at  the  intermission.     There  had  in  fact  been  no  fire  in  the 

stove the  day  being  too  warm.      We  were    too  much   upon  the 

broad  grin  to  be  very  devotional,  and  smiled  rather  loudly  at  the  funny 
things  we  saw.  But  when  the  editor  of  the  village  paper,  Mr.  Bunco, 
came  in,  (who  was  a  believer  of  stoves  in  churches,)  and  with  a  most 
satisfactory  air,  warmed  his  hands  by  the  stove,  keeping  the  skirts  of 
his  great-coat  carefully  between  his  knees,  we  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
but  dropt  invisible  behind  the  breastwork.  But  the  climax  of  the 
whole  was,  (as  the  Cleveland  man  says,)  when  Mrs.  Peck  went  out 
in  the  midst  of  the  service  !  It  was,  however,  the  means  of  reconcil- 
ing the*  whole  society ;  for,  after  that  first  day,  we  heard  of  no  more 
opposition  to  the  warm  stove  in  the  meeting-house." 

On  referring  to  the  Society's  Records,  I  find  the  subjoined 
reference  to  the  transaction  mentioned  in  the  article  from  the 
Courant  : 


166  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

"  The  following  representation  in  writing,  viz., 

"An  Association  of  Young  Men,  inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Litchfield,  desire 
the  First  Ecclesiastical  Society,  by  their  Committee,  to  accept  of  a  Stove  and 
Pipe  for  their  meeting-house.  *  They  request  the  Committee  would  consult  the 
Society,  and  inform  the  undersigned  where  they  would  wish  to  have  it  placed. 

JOHN  P.  BRACE,  ) 

HIRAM  WALLACE,  >  Committee. 

L.  GOODWIN,  ) 

Litchfield,  Oct.  18,  1816." 

— having  been  presented  to  the  Society's  Committee,  and  the  Society- 
having  been  informed  by  their  said  Committee  that  they  had  accepted 
the  Stove  and  Pipe  referred  to  in  said  representation — Whereupon, 
Voted,  That  the  Society's  Committee  be,  and  they  are,  instructed 
and  directed  to  designate  the  place  in  which  the  said  Stove  shall  be  lo- 
cated, and  give  the  necessary  directions  regarding  the  mode  in  which 
the  said  stove,  and  the  pipe  thereto  attached,  shall  be  erected. 

Attest,         J.  W.  HUNTINGTON,  Clerk." 

In  nothing,  perhaps,  has  there  been  a  greater  change  during 
the  last  seventy-five  years,  than  in  the  mode  of  traveling  and 
carrying  freight.  Until  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  traveling, 
especially  in  the  inland  towns,  was  performed  almost  exclusive- 
ly on  horseback.  The  saddle  and  the  pillion  were  regarded 
by  the  upper  and  middle  classes  as  articles  of  special  conven- 
ience and  gentility — much  more  so  than  carriages  and  coaches 
now  are.  Horses  were  trained  to  carry  double  ;  and  it  was  not 
an  uncommon  thing  to  see  father,  mother,  and  at  least  one 
child,  mounted  on  the  some  horse  at  the  same  time.  Long- 
journeys  were  sometimes  taken  with  this  tripple  load.  For 
years  after  the  Old  Forge,  in  the  western  part  of  this  town, 
was  erected,  the  ore  for  its  use  was  brought  from  the  iron- 
mines  of  Kent  in  bags  slung  across  the  backs  of  horses  ;  and 
the  bar-iron  manufactured  there,  was  bent  in  the  form  of  ox- 
bows, and  carried  to  market  on  horseback  !  Ox-carts  and 
ox-sleds  were  common,  and  journeys  of  hundreds  of  miles  wer 
not  unfrequently  made  in  these  tedious  vehicles.  Many  of  the 
ambitious  and  hardy  young  men  of  this  town,  who  emigrated 
to  Vermont,  to  the  Genesee  Country,  and  New  Connecticut, 
went  on  foot — each  carrying  a  pack,  in  which  was  enclosed, 
as  an  indispensable  part  of  his  outfit,  a  new  axe.  Some  who 
thus  went,  became  men  of  wealth  and  distinction. 

There  was  no  public  conveyance  between  Litchfield  and  the 
neighboring  or  more  remote  towns,  for  a  period  of  nearly  sev- 


POST-RIDERS,   MAILS,    ETC.  1(57 

enty  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  place  commenced.  ^As 
early  as  1766,  it  is  true,  Mr.  William  Stanton  was  a  post-rider 
between  Litchfield  and  Hartford  ;  but  as  it  is  understood  that 
his  journeys  were  performed  on  horseback,  the  inference  is 
that  he  did  not  make  a  business  of  carrying  passengers  !  ^  In- 
deed, during  the  revolution,  all  regular  communication  be- 
tween the  interior  towns  was  suspended,  even  where  it  had 
before  existed  ;  but  expresses  were  sent  hither  and  thither,  as 
the  exigences  of  the  hour  might  demand.  Litchfield  was  on 
the  great  inland  route  from  Boston  to  New  York,  as  well  as 
from  Hartford  to  West  Point,  so  that  the  amount  of  travel 
through  the  town  was  very  great. 

The  establishment  of  a  weekly  paper  in  this  village,  in  1784 
seemed  to  call  for  some  method  of  obtaining  and  circulating 
the  "  news."  There  was  not  a  Post  Office  or  a  Mail  Route  in 
the  County  of  Litchfield  ;  and  how  the  subscribers  contrived 
to  get  their  papers,  may  well  be  regarded  as  a  mystery  by  the 
publishers  of  our  day.  In  1789,  Jehiel  Saxton,  a  post  rider 
between  New  Haven  and  Lenox,  passed  through  this  town  on 
his  route,  at  stated  intervals.  In  1790,  another  of  this  inter- 
esting class  of  primitive  letter-carriers  and  errand-men,  com- 
menced his  long  and  lonely  ride  over  the  almost  intermin- 
able succession  of  hills,  between  "  the  Litchfield  Court-House" 
and  the  city  of  New  York — leaving  each  place  once  a  fortnight. 
That  was  a  proud  day  for  Litchfield — perhaps  for  New  York 
also! 

But  at  length  the  enterprize  of  the  printer  accomplished 
what  the  Government  had  failed  to  do.  In  January,  1791, 
the  Monitor  contained  the  following  announcement : 

"  Post-Office  Establishment.  —  The  Public,  particularly 
Gentlemen  in  the  Town  and  Vicinity  of  Litchfield,  have  some 
time  lamented  the  want  of  a  regular  and  weekly  Intercourse 
with  the  City  of  Hartford,  by  a  Post  immediately  from  this 
Town — are  respectfully  assured,  that  a  Post  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Isaac  Trowbridge,  the  Rider  from  New  York,  will 
start  from  this  Office  for  Hartford  regularly,  once  a  week, 
commencing  on  Monday  next,  the  31st  inst.  This  Establish- 
ment has  met  the  Sanction  and  Encouragement  of  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge  ;  and  the  Undertakers  will  be  subject  to  the  same  Reg- 


108  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

ulation  and  Responsibility  required  by  the  Postmaster  General. 
Consequently,  every  Duty  annexed  to  the  Business  will  be 
strictly  and  pointedly  observed. 

"  And  that  the  Public  may  be  better  accommodated,  and 
derive  a  safe  Repository  for  their  Letters,  <fcc,  a  POST-OFFICE 
is  opened  in  Collier's  Printing  Office — at  which  Place  all  Des- 
patches, to  be  transmitted  through  the  Medium  of  either  Post, 
must  be  deposited.  During  the  Winter,  (and  till  the  1st  of 
May  next,)  the  Post  from  New  York  will  ride  once  a  fortnight, 
and  arrive  on  Tuesday  Evening,  commencing  the  5th  of  the 
ensuing  month.  Those  who  have  Business  or  Letters  are  re- 
quested to  leave'their  directions  at  this  Office,  for  New  York 
on  Tuesday,  for  Hartford  on  Saturday  Evenings,  preceding 
the  days  of  departure  ;  as  the  Posts  will  positively  start  at  an 
early  Hour.  Letters  will  be  received  at  this  Office  for  any 
part  of  the  United  States. 

Litchfield,  Jan.  24,  1791." 

A  memorial  of  those  days  may  still  be  seen  about  half  a 
mile  west  of  the  Court-House,  in  the  highway — a  mile-stone 
bearing  the  following  inscription,  viz.  : 

"  30  Miles  to 

Hartford. 

102  Miles  to 

New  York. 


J.  Strong, 
A.  D.  1787." 

Forty  and  fifty  years  ago,  several  of  these  relics,  of  red  sand 
stone,  were  scattered  along  the  main  route  through  the  town- 
ship, from  east  to  west;  but  they  have  nearly  all  disappeared. 
The  one  above  referred  to,  is  of  white  marble,  and  was  doubt- 
less erected  by  the  Hon.  Jedediali  Strong,  who,  at  the  date 
given,  resided  on  the  adjacent  premises,  and  who  appears  to 
have  been  unwilling  that  an  ordinary  stone  should  stand  so  near 
his  dwelling.  He  was  evidently  quite  satisfied  with  his  achiev- 
ment,  as,  in  his  subsequent  advertizements,  he  designates  the 
locality  of  his  residence  as  "  near  the  marble  mile-stone"  etc. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1792,  the  President  of  the  United 
States  approved  and  signed  the  Post  Office  Bill,  by  which,  on 
and  after  the  1st  day  of  June  following,  a  Post  Road  was  es- 
tablished from  New  York  to  Hartford,  via.  White  Plains, 


FIRST   POST   OFFICE   IN   LITCHFIELD,  169 

Northcastle,  Salem,  Pound  Ridge,  Ridgefield,  Danbury,  New- 
town, New  Milford,  Litchfield,  Harwinton,  and  Farmington. 
A  Government  Post  Office  was  established  in  this  town  during 
the  same  year ;  and  though  for  a  while  the  only  one  in  the 
county,  it  was  not  very  generally  patronized,  if  we  are  to 
form  our  opinion  from  the  following  and  other  similar  adver" 
tizements  : 

"  LIST  OF  LETTERS  at  the  Post  Office  in  Litchfield  last  quar- 
ter :  Noble  Bostwiek,  New  Milford;  Justus  Cook,  Northbury  ;  Da- 
vid Fancher,  Watertown  5  Reuben  and  John  Miner,  Winchester  ;  Jon- 
athan Werden,  Salisbury.  B.  TALLMADGE,  P.  M. 

Litchfield,  Nov.  1,  1792." 

Within  the  half-dozen  years  next  succeeding  the  latter  date, 
commenced  what  may  be  characterized  as  The  Era  of  Turn- 
pikes and  Stage- Coaches — which  continued  in  its  glory  for 
something  over  forty  years.  During  this  period,  very  much 
was  done  to  improve  the  routes  of  travel  and  to  facilitate  com- 
munication of  town  with  town.  Turnpike  Companies  were 
•organized  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  turnpike  stock  was  re- 
garded by  capitalists  as  a  safe,  profitable  and  permanent  in- 
vestment. The  Litchfield  and  New  Milford  Turnpike  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  October,  1797  ;  the  Litchfield  and 
Harwinton  Company,  in  October,  1798  ;  and  the  Litchfield  and 
Canaan  Company,  in  May,  1799.  Then  followed  Straits' 
Turnpike,  from  Litchfield  to  New  Haven,  the  Litchfield  and 
Cornwall,  the  Litchfield  and  Torrington,  and  the  Litchfield 
and  Plymouth  Turnpikes — so  that,  in  due  time,  it  became 
almost  impossible  to  get  into  or  out  of  our  borough  without 
encountering  a  toll-gate.  Four-horse  Stage  Coaches  gradually 
came  into  use  from-  the  time  that  Turnpikes  became  general ; 
and  ultimately  Congress  enacted  that  the  U.  S.  Mails  should 
be  thus  conveyed  on  all  the  principal  routes.  Litchfield  now 
became  an  important  centre  of  travel.  Daily  lines  of  Mail 
Stages  were  established  between  this  village  and  Hartford, 
New  Haven,  Norwalk,  Poughkeepsie,  and  Albany.  One  after 
another,  Post  Offices  were  established  in  all  the  towns  and 
principal  villages  in  the  County  ;  notwithstanding  which,  the 
business  of  the  Litchfield  Office  has  been  constantly  on  the 

22 


170  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

increase.  Staging  continued  to  be  an  extensive  and  profitable 
business  in  this  town,  until  the  opening  of  the  Housatonic 
Railroad,  in  1837,  at  which  time  the  Poughkeepsie  and  Alba- 
ny lines  were  discontinued.  Two-horse  Mail  Wagons  have 
since  run  from  this  village  to  meet  the  railroad  trains  at  West 
Cornwall  and  New  Milford.  In  1848,  the  Naugatuck  Railroad 
was  completed  from  Bridgeport  to  Winsted — running  through 
the  entire  length  of  this  township,  near  its  eastern  boundary. 
Since  that  time, our  only  four-horse  stage  is  that  running  from 
the  village  to  the  Litchfield  Station  on  the  Naugatuck  Road. 

There  are  now  six  Post  Offices  in  this  township,  viz.,  those 
of  Litchfield,  South  Farms,  Milton,  Northfield,  Bantam  Falls, 
and  Campville.  In  1851,  an  office  was  established  at  the 
Litchfield  Station,  called  "  East  Litchfield" — of  which  Messrs. 
William  Butler  and  Charles  Carter  were  successively  Post- 
masters. It  has  since  been  discontinued.  A  Return  from  the 
General  Post  Office,  published  some  half-dozen  years  since, 
shows  that  the  yearly  receipts  at  the  Litchfield  Post  Office 
exceeded  those  of  any  other  office  in  the  State,  except  those 
located  in  the  cities. 

The  following  is  believed  to  be  a  complete  list  of  Postmasters 
at  the  Litchfield  Office,  from  its  establishment  to  the  present 
time,  viz.,  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  Frederick  Wolcott,  Moses 
Seymour,  Jr.,  Charles  Seymour,  George  C.  Woodruff,  Jason 
Whiting,  Reuben  M.  Woodruff,  Leverett  W.  Wessells,  and 
George  H.  Baldwin. 

The  Postmasters  for  this  town,  for  the  year  1858-'9,  are — 
Litchfield,  Geo.  II.  Baldwin  ;  South  Farms,  W.  L.  Smedley  ; 
Northfield,  John  Catlin  ;  Milton,  H.  Kilbourn ;  Bantam  Falls, 
L.  Kenney  ;  Campville,  J.  M.  Camp. 


ECCLESIASTICAL.  1 71 


CHAPTER  X. 
ECCLESIASTICAL  MATTERS. 

FIRST  SOCIETY. 

In  a  preceding  chapter,  I  have  given  with  some  particular- 
ity an  account  of  the  settlement  of  the  Rev.  Timothy  Collins, 
and  of  the  erection  of  the  first  meeting-house  in  this  town. 
The  building  was  clapboarded,  but  had  neither  steeple  or 
bell.  Mr.  Morris  informs  us  that  at  the  "  raising,"  all  the 
adult  males  residing  in  the  township,  sat  on  the  sills  at  once ! 
Mr.  Collins  was  ordained  as  the  first  pastor  of  the  First  Church, 
June  19,  1723.  There  is  no  evidence,  either  recorded  or  tra- 
ditionary, which  would  lead  us  to  suspect  that  aught  but  the 
most  perfect  harmony  existed  between  pastor  and  people,  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  his  ministry.  The  first  inference  to  the 
contrary  may  be  drawn  from  the  doings  of  a  town  meeting 
held  December  25,  1728,  when  a  memorial  from  Mr.  C.  was 
read,  and  the  consideration  thereof  "  postponed  till  the  next 
meeting" — which,  however,  was  not  called  until  nearly  three 
months  afterward.  It  appears  from  the  records  of  the  meet- 
ing in  March,  that  the  memorial  had  reference  to  "  the  dis- 
count of  money  since  the  agreement  was  made"  between  the 
parties.  It  was  finally  resolved  to  pay  him  ten  pounds  per  year 
in  addition  to  the  eighty  pounds  originally  agreed  upon  as  his 
salary — "  until  the  town  shall  see  cause  to  order  otherwise." 

On  the  14th  of  April  1731,  the  first  vote  was  passed  for 
"seating  the  meeting-house."  In  the  doings  of  the  same  meet- 
ing occurs  the  following  entry  :  "  Voted,  after  dark,  that  Mr. 
Collins  have  the  choice  of  the  pews  for  himself  and  family." 
The  peculiar  significance  of  the  wording  of  this  vote,  will  be 
understood  when  taken  in  connection  with  a  previous  vote, 
which  provided  that  "  no  act  of  the  town  should  stand  in  force 
that  was  passed  after  day-light  failed  to  record  it." 


172  HISTORY    OP    li  rCHPIBLD. 

The  controversy  which  began  in  a  dispute  concerning  the 
salary  of  Mr.  Collins,  was  continued  through  a  long  series  of 
years,  and  increased  in  importance  and  acrimony.  Though  a 
decided  majority  of  the  church  and  society  took  sides  against 
their  pastor,  there  was  still  a  respectable  minority  who  sus- 
tained him.  In  1744,  the  town  voted  "  not  to  make  any  rate 
for  Mr.  Collins  under  present  difficulties."  At  the  same  time 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  treat  with  the  pastor  respecting 
his  salary  "  and  absence  from  the  work  of  the  ministry"  In 
December,  1745,  a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  eject  Mr.  Col- 
lins from  the  Parsonage  Right."  In  December,  1750,  Mr. 
C.  was  desired  "  to  resign  his  ministerial  office."  During  the 
succeeding  month,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  carry  a  charge 
against  Mr.  C.  to  the  Consociation,  "  for  unfaithfulness  in  the 
ministerial  office."  To  this  last  vote,  Serg't.  Joseph  Mason, 
Lieut.  Moses  Stoddard,  and  Messrs.  George  Marsh,  Archibald 
McNeile,  John  Marsh,  William  Peck,  Sylvanus  Stone,  Asa 
Hopkins,  and  Alexander  McNeile,  "  did  protest."  Two  years 
later,  a  similar  vote  to  the  last  was  offered  in  town  meeting, 
and  negatived  by  a  decided  majority — yeas  13  ;  nays  41. 

After  a  ministry  in  this  town  of  about  thirty  years,  Mr.  Col- 
lins vacated  the  pulpit  in  1752.  Though  his  pecuniary  contest 
with  the  town  continued  for  a  few  years  later,  he  seems  to 
have  been  not  unpopular  either  as  a  citizen  or  civilian.  Like 
many  of  the  clergy  of  that  day,  he  had  received  a  medical  ed- 
ucation, and  he  continued  here  as  a  practicing  physician  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  elected  by  the  voters  of 
this  town  to  the  offices  of  Lister  and  Selectman,  and  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Legislature  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Litchfield 
County.  In  1755,  he  was  appointed  a  Surgeon  of  one  of  the 
Connecticut  Regiments  in  the  Expedition  against  Crown  Point. 
He  is  represented  to  have  been  a  gentleman  of  good  talents 
and  stately  demeanor,  but  with  manners  by  no  means  concilia- 
tory or  popular.  It  is  worthy  of  mention,  as  indicating  that 
he  may  have  been  "  sinned  against"  in  his  controversy  with 
the  town,  that  he  was  successful  in  the  only  lawsuit  growing 
out  of  it.     He  died  in  Litchfield  in  1776. 

In  February,  1753,  the  town  voted  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Judah 
Champion,  of  East  Haddam,  who  had  graduated  at  Yale  Col- 


SECOND  MEETINfc-flOUSE,  178 

lege  in  1751.  Two  thousand  pounds,  old  tenor  currency,  was 
voted  as  his  settlement,  and  eight  hundred  pounds,  old  tenor, 
was  voted  as  his  yearly  salary.  Mr.  Benjamin  Webster  was 
appointed  to  visit  Mr.  Champion,  and  deliver  to  him  these 
votes  of  the  town.  Mr.  Champion  accepted  the  call,  and  was 
ordained  as  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  July  4,  175'}. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1760,  the  town  voted  to  build  a 
new  meeting-house  on  the  Green  ;  and  Mr.  Joseph  Vaill,  Mr. 
Alexander  McNeile,  Deacon  Peter  Bucl,  Jacob  Woodruff,  Esq., 
and  Captain  Solomon  Bucl,  were  appointed  a  Building  Com- 
mittee. At  the  same  time,  Reynold  Marvin,  Esq.,  was  desig- 
nated as  the  Town's  Agent  to  apply  to  the  County  Court  for  ;i 
committee  to  fix  the  place  for  said  meeting-house ;  and  Col. 
Ebenezer  Marsh,  Timothy  Collins,  Esq.,  and  Capt.  Elisha 
Sheldon,  were  appointed  to  wait  on  the  Committee  of  the 
Court.  The  edifice  was  erected  near  the  site  of  the  old  one, 
and  was  63  feet  long  by  42  feet  wide,  with  a  steeple  and  bell. 
It  was  completed  during  the  autumn  of  1762.  The  old  meet- 
ing-house was  sold  at  auction  in  November  of  that  year — Mr. 
Asa  Hopkins,  Vendue  Master. 

Mr.  Champion  proved  to  be  an  able  and  popular  minister, 
and  continued  here  in  the  pastoral  office  until  1798.  He  died 
in  this  town,  October  5,  1810,  in  his  82d  year. 

From  the  organization  of  the  town  to  the  year  1768,  all  bu- 
siness relating  to  schools  and  ecclesiastical  affairs  was  transac- 
ted in  town  meeting.  The  Society  of  South  Farms  (or  the 
Second  Society  of  Litchfield)  having  been  incorporated,  the 
First  Society  met  for  the  first  time,  May  9th,  1768.  Elisha 
Sheldon,  Esq.,  was  chosen  Moderator;  Isaac  Baldwin,  Esq., 
Clerk ;  Mr.  Joshua  Garrett,  Treasurer  ;  and  Mr.  Edward 
Phelps,  Jr.,  Capt.  Oliver  Wolcott  and  Capt.  William  Marsh, 
Society's  Committee.  There  was  little  clone  at  these  Society's 
Meetings,  from  year  to  year,  except  to  appoint  officers,  Com- 
mittees, and  Choristers.  Now  and  then  we  find  an  entry  in 
the  records  of  a  different  character.  Thus — December,  1772 
— measures  were  taken  for  "  coloring-  the  meeting-house,  and 
putting  up  Electrical  Rods."  At  the  same  meeting,  the  Soci- 
ety's Committee  were  directed  "  not  to  let  the  Town's  Stock 


174  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

of  Powder  and  Ball  to  be  stored  in  said  house."  Two  years 
later  it  was  voted  that  "  the  new  method  of  Singing-  at  present 
taught  by  Mr.  Lyman,"  should  be  introduced  into  the  public 
worship  of  the  congregation  ;  and  the  singers  taught  by 
Mr.  Lyman  were  granted  "  the  use  and  privilege  of  the  Front 
Seats  in  the  Gallery."  The  subject  of  the  minister's  salary 
still  gave  the  Society  much  trouble.  Mr.  Champion  complained 
of  the  depreciated  and  fluctuating  currency,  as  Mr.  Collins  had 
done  before  him.  To  obviate  this  difficulty,  the  Society,  in 
1779,  voted  to  give  him  as  his  salary  for  the  then  current 
year,  the  sum  of  seventy-five  pounds  sixteen  shillings,  money, 
"  to  be  paid  in  the  following  articles  at  the  usual  prices  affixed, 
viz.,  Wheat  at  four  shillings  per  bushel ;  Rye  at  three  shill- 
ings do. ;  Indian  Corn  at  three  shillings  do. ;  Flax  at  six  pence 
per  lb.  ;  Pork  at  twenty-five  shillings  per  ewt.  ;  Beef  at  twenty 
shillings  do.  ;  Tried  Tallow  at  six  pence  per  lb.  ;  Lard  at  five 
pence  do  ;  Oats  at  one  shilling  per  bushel." 

Mr.  Champion's  successor  was  the  Rev.  Dan  Huntington, 
who,  at  the  time  he  received  the  call  to  settle  here,  was  a  tutor 
in  Yale  College.  He  was  ordained  in  October,  1798.  As 
he  was  a  gentleman  of  learning  and  eloquence,  the  church 
and  society  were  delighted  with  their  new  pastor ;  and  he  ap- 
pears to  have  been  no  less  pleased  at  being  settled  in  such  a 
place  and  over  such  a  people.  He  thus  wrote  concerning  them 
— "  A  delightful  village,  on  a  fruitful  hill,  richly  endowed 
with  its  schools,  both  professional  and  scientific,  and  their 
accomplished  teachers ;  with  its  venerable  Governors  and 
Judges  ;  with  its  learned  lawyers,  and  Senators,  and  Repre- 
sentatives, both  in  the  National  and  State  Departments ;  and 
with  a  population  enlightened  and  respectable — Litchfield  was 
now  in  its  glory."  During  Mr.  Huntington's  ministry  in  this 
place,  a  remarkable  religious  awakening  overspread  this  and 
and  the  adjacent  parishes,  resulting  in  the  hopeful  conversion 
of  about  three  hundred  persons  among  the  different  denomin- 
ations of  Litchfield.  "  This  town,"  says  Mr.  Huntington,  "was 
originally  among  the  number  of  those  decidedly  opposed  to 
the  movements  of  former  revivalists ;  and  went  so  far,  in  a 
regular  church  meeting  called  expressly  for  the  purpose  under 


MINISTERS   OF   LITCHFIELD.  175 

the  ministry  of  the  venerable  Mr.  Collins,  as  to  let  them  know, 
by  a  unanimous  vote,  that  they  did  not  wish  to  see  them.  The 
effect  was,  they  did  not  come.  The  report  circulated,  that 
Litchfield  had  "  voted  Christ  out  of  their  borders."  It  was 
noticed  by  some  of  the  older  people,  that  the  death  of  the  last 
person  then  a  member  of  the  church,  was  a  short  time  before 
the  commencement  of  our  revival." 

Previous  to  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Huntington,  the  society 
voted  him  a  "  settlement"  of  one  thousand  dollars,  and  an 
annual  salary  of  four  hundred  dollars  ;  also,  agreeing  to  con- 
tinue to  Mr.  Champion,  during  life,  a  salary  of  one  hundred 
pounds.  In  December,  1805,  a  subscription  was  made  of  funds 
to  be  placed  at  interest,  for  the  purpose  of  adding'  two  hundred 
dollars  to  the  salary  of  the  pastor.  It  would  seem,  however, 
that  notwithstanding  these  efforts  to  increase  his  income,  Mr. 
Huntington  had  resolved  upon  leaving.  The  Church  and 
Society,  in  February,  1807,  voted  not  to  concur  in  his  request 
that  a  separation  should  take  place  between  them.  A 
Council,  however,  was  called,  and  the  connection  amicably 
dissolved.  In  March,  1810,  the  Society  voted  a  unanimous 
call  to  the  Rev.  Lyman  Beecher,  which  was  accepted,  and  he 
was  installed  on  the  80th  of  the  succeeding  May — President 
Dwight,  of  Yale  College,  preaching  the  installation  sermon. 
After  a  successful  ministry  in  this  town  of  about  sixteen  years, 
he  accepted  a  call  from  the  Hanover-street  Church,  Boston, 
and  was  dismissed,  February  21,  1826.  His  successor  in  the 
ministry  here,  was  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lynn  Carroll,  who  was 
ordained  October  3,  1827  ;  and  was  dismissed,  at  his  own  re- 
quest, March  4,  1829. 

In  1827,  the  Society  voted  to  erect  a  new  church-edifice  ; 
and  Messrs.  Frederick  Wolcott,  Stephen  Deming,  Salmon  Buel, 
William  Buel  and  Leonard  Goodwin,  were  appointed  a  Build- 
ing Committee.  The  House  was  dedicated  on  the  same  day 
that  the  installation  of  Mr.  Hickok  took  place. 

The  Rev.  Laurens  P.  Hickok,  of  Kent,  was  the  next  pastor, 
having  been  installed  July  15,  1829.  During  his  ministry 
here,  of  about  seven  years,  21 4  persons  united  with  the  church. 
Ninety-five  of  these  were  added  at  two  communion  seasons  in 


176  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

the  autumn  of  1831 — being  a  part  of  the  fruits  of  the  great 
revival  of  that  year.  In  September,  1836,  Dr.  Hickok  having 
been  elected  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Western  Reserve 
College,  Ohio,  requested  a  dismission  from  his  pastoral  charge, 
which  was  reluctantly  granted — and  he  was  dismissed,  Novem- 
ber 15, 1836. 

June  12,  1838,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Brace,  of  Hartford,  was 
ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church ;  and  was  dismissed,  at  his 
own  request,  February  28,  1844.  During  his  pastorate  of 
about  six  years,  not  far  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons 
united  with  the  church. 

The  Rev.  Benjamin  L.  Swan  was  installed  as  the  eighth 
pastor,  October  22,  1846,  and  closed  his  labors  here,  on  the 
10th  of  May,  1856 — having  supplied  the  pulpit  with  much 
ability  and  acceptance  for  nearly  ten  years. 

The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Leonard  Woolsey  Bacon,  was 
ordained,  November  16,  1856,  on  which  occasion  the  ordina- 
tion sermon  was  preached  by  his  father,  the  Rev.  Leonard 
Bacon,  D.  D.,  of  New  Haven. 

Deacons  of  the  First  Church,  (from  1723  to  1859.) — John 
Buel,  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  Benjamin  Hosford,  Benjamin  Kel- 
logg, Benjamin  Webster,  Thomas  Harrison,  Peter  Buel,  Moses 
Stoddard,  Andrew  Adams,  William  Collins,  Ozias  Lewis, 
Thomas  Trowbridge,  Andrew  Benedict,  Frederick  Buel,  Tru- 
man Kilbourn,  Charles  Adams,  Cyrus  Catlin,  Henry  W.  Buel, 
and  Henry  B.  Bissell. 

Clerks  of  the  Society. — Isaac  Baldwin,  Roger  Skinner, 
Abel  Catlin,  Luke  Lewis,  Samuel  Buel,  Jabez  W.  Huntington, 
Joseph  Adams,  Frederick  Doming,  Samuel  P.  Bolles,  George 
C.  Woodruff,  Sylvester  Galpin,  Francis  Bacon,  James  G.  Bat- 
terson,  Reuben  M.  Woodruff,  Frederick  D.  McNiel. 

Treasurers  of  the  Society.  —  Joshua  Garrett,  Abraham 
Bradley,  Isaac  Baldwin,  William  Stanton,  Moses  Seymour, 
Samuel  Buel,  Joseph  Adams,  Luke  Lewis,  Frederick  Doming, 
Sylvester  Galpin,  George  C.  Woodruff,  Charles  Adams,  Sam'l 
P.  Bolles,  Chauncey  M.  Hooker,  Henry  W.  Buel. 


FIRST    EPISCOPAL   SOCIETY.  177 

In  1735,  Mr.  John  Davies,  of  Kinton,  Hertfordshire,  Eng- 
land, purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  south-west  corner  of  this 
town,  and  not  long  after  took  np  his  ahode  in  that  wild  and 
unfrequented  region.  He  was  warmly  attached  to  the  doc- 
trines and  forms  of  the  Church  of  England,  'and  was  for  sonic 
years  the  only  Episcopalian  in  Litchfield.  The  unpopularity 
of  Mr.  Collins,  of  the  congregational  society,  at  length  induced 
several  of  the  leading  members  of  his  congregation  to  with- 
draw themselves  from  his  ministry,  and  to  look  elsewhere  for 
religious  instruction.  On  the  5th  of  November,  1745,  a  meet- 
ing was  called  at  the  house  of  Captain  Jacoh  Griswold,  by 
Messrs.  Jacob  Griswold,  Joseph  Kilbourn,  John  Davies,  James 
Kilhourn,  Thomas  Lee,  Samuel  Kilbourn,  Abiel  Smith,  Joseph 
Smith,  Abraham  Kilbourn,  Elijah  Griswold,  Isaac  Bisscll,  Wil- 
liam Emmons  and  Daniel  Landon — at  which  the  First  E]>i<- 
copal  Society  of  Litchfield  was  organized.  The  first  service 
after  the  English  ritual,  was  performed  in  this  town  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  President  of  King's  (now  Colum- 
bia) College  in  the  city  of  New  York.  At  an  adjourned  Town 
Meeting,  held  on  the  16th  of  February,  1747,  it  was  voted, 
that  "  those  who  declared  themselves  members  of  the  Church 
of  England  the  last  year,  shall  be  discharged  from  paying  their 
Minister's  Rate  for  the  last  year — they  paying  two-thirds  of 
the  Rate  that  was  made  for  them  to  pay  the  last  year."  This 
was  one  short  step  toward  toleration.  In  that  year  Mr.  John 
Davies  deeded  to  the  Episcopal  Society  in  Litchfield,  a  tract  of 
land  situated  about  one  mile  west  of  the  present  Court  House, 
containing  fifty-two  acres.  This  deed  was  in  the  form  of  a 
lease,  for  the  term  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-eight  years, 
for  the  use  of  the  "Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  For- 
eign Parts" — for  which  there  was  to  be  paid  "  one  pepper-corn 
annually,  at  or  upon  the  Feast  of  St.  Michael  the  Archangel, 
if  lawfully  demanded."  About  the  same  time,  Mr.  Daniel 
Landon  deeded  to  Capt.  Jacob  Griswold  and  Captain  Joseph 
Kilbourn,  a  tract  of  fifty  acres,  "  lying  westward  of  the  Great 
Pond,  near  a  mountain  called  Little  Mount  Tom,"  to  hold  for 
the  use  of  said  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel,  "  to  be  by 
said  Society  applied  and  appropriated  for  the  benefit  of  the 

23 


178  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

Minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Litchfield."  The  first 
church  edifice  of  the  parish  was  raised  upon  the  first  named  of 
these  tracts,  April'23,  1749.  It  was  covered — seats,  pulpit, 
reading  desk  and  chancel  were  made — and  it  was  used  in  this 
condition  for  about  twenty  years  before  it  was  finished.  It 
was  named  St.  Michael's,  by  request  of  Mr.  Davies.  It  stood 
(as  did  also  the  house  of  Captain  Griswold,  in  which  the  society 
was  organized,)  nearly  opposite  the  present  residence  of  John 
E.  Sedgwick,  Esq.,  and  continued  to  be  occupied  as  a  place  of 
public  worship  for  over  sixty  years. 

In  1749,  John  Davies,  Jr.,  (the  only  surviving  son  of  the 
first  benefactor  of  the  parish,)  came  over  from  Hertfordshire, 
with  a  wife  and  several  young  children,*  and  settled  near  his 
father,  south-west  of  Mount  Tom,  at  a  place  still  known  as 
Davies  Hollow.  As  he  was  a  gentleman  of  good  estate,  and  an 
ardent  Churchman,  his  arrival  was  regarded  as  an  important 
accession  to  the  Episcopal  Society.  He  had  previously  crossed 
the  ocean  two  or  three  times  on  tours  of  observation.  His 
wife — whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Powell — was  very  reluc- 
tant to  leave  her  native  land  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact 
that  one  or  more  of  her  children  were  already  in  the  family  of 
their  grand-parents  in  Litchfield,  it  is  doubtful  if  she  would 
have  been  induced  to  come.  That  she  should  have  regarded 
her  new  home  in  the  wilderness  as  cheerless  and  lonely,  com- 
pared with  the  scenes  she  had  left,  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
In  writing  home  to  her  English  friends,  she  is  said  to  have 
described  herself  as  "  entirely  alone,  having  no  society,  and 
nothing  to  associate  ivith  but  Presbyterians  and  Wolves."  The 
reader  may  be  interested  in  the  fact,  that  though  the  wolves 
long  since  disappeared  from  Davies  Hollow,  some  of  the  de- 
scendants of  the  excellent  lady  who  thus  wrote,  are  now  num- 
bered among  the  sect  of  christians  which  she  seems  to  have 
regarded  with  such  abhorrence. 

*  William,  Mary,  Walter  and  James,  were  born  in  Hertford  ;  the  other  children, 
viz.,  Catharine,  Elizabeth,  Ann,  James  J.,  David,  Rachel,  George  and  Thomas, 
were  horn  in  Litchfield.  These  were  all  children  of  Mr.  Davies'  second  wife, 
Mary  Powell.  His  first  wife,  Elizabeth  Brown,  was  the  mother  of  John,  Thomas 
(the  Hector  of  St.  Michael's,)  and  William  who  died  young.  The  youngest 
son,  Thomas,  was  born  about  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  elder  brother  of  the  same 
name. 


RECTORS   OF   ST.    MICHAEL'S   CHURCH.  179 

From  the  organization  of  the  society  in  1745,  to  175-1,  they 
were  without  a  settled  minister.  The  Rev.  Drs.  Mansfield, 
Johnson,  Cutler  and  Beach,  occasionally  officiated  here ;  and 
in  the  absence  of  a  clergyman,  prayers  were  sometimes  read 
by  Messrs.  Davies,  Landon  and  Cole.  The  first  Rector  of 
►St.  Michael  was  the  Rev.  Solomon  Palmer,  31.  A.,  who  had 
been  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Cornwall  from 
1741  to  1754.  In  March  of  the  preceding  year,  to  the  great 
surprize  and  grief  of  his  people,  he  on  the  Sabbath  publicly 
announced  himself  an  Episcopalian  in  sentiment.  lie  soon 
after  sailed  for  England,  where  he  was  ordained  Deacon  and 
Priest  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Zachary  Pierce,  Bishop  of  Bangor ;  and 
returned  to  this  country  during  the  same  year  (1754,)  bearing 
a  commission  from  the  Venerable  Society  as  missionary  for 
Litchfield,  Cornwall  and  Great  Barrington.  His  salary  from 
the  Society  was  X60  per  annum.  With  the  exception  of  about 
three  years,  (during  which  time  he  was  Rector  of  Trinity 
Church  in  New  Haven,)  Mr.  Palmer  continued  to  reside  in 
Litchfield,  in  the  exercise  of  his  pastoral  duties,  until  his  death, 
which  took  place  November  1,  1771,  at  the  age  of  62  years. 
He  was  buried  near  the  old  parish  church,  one  mile  west  of 
the  present  edifice — where,  Mr.  Jones  informs  us,  his  tomb- 
stone was  standing  in  1812.  His  epitaph  has  recently  been 
carved  on  a  handsome  modern  monument  in  the  West  Burying 
Ground. 

His  successor  in  the  ministry  of  St.  Michael's,  was  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Davies,  M.  A.,  (son  of  Mr.  John  Davies,  Jr.,)  who 
was  born  in  Hereford,  England,  January  2,  1737,  and  was 
brought  to  Litchfield  by  his  father  in  1745,  when  but  little 
more  than  eight  years  old,  and  was  left  here  with  his  grand- 
parents. This  was  some  four  years  before  his  parents  became 
residents  of  this  town.  Having  graduated  at  Yale  College  in 
1758,  and  pursued  the  usual  course  of  theological  studies, 
Mr.  Davies  sailed  for  England,  and  was  there  ordained  Deacon 
by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  at  Lambeth,  on  Sunday, 
August  23,  17G1,  and  was  ordained  Priest  by  the  same  prelate 
on  the  following  day.  Like  Mr.  Palmer,  he  returned  hither 
as  a  missionary  of  the  English  Society  "  for  Litchfield  county 


ISO  HISTORY    OP   LITCHFIELD. 

and  the  parts  adjacent."  By  a  subsequent  and  more  definite 
appointment,  the  parishes   of  New  Milford,  Roxbury,   New 

Fairfield,  New  Preston  and  Sharon,  were  designated  as  his 
field  of  labor.  On  the  removal  of  Mr.  Palmer  to  New  Haven 
in  17Go,  he  became  the  minister  of  St.  Michael's,  and  remained 
here  in  charge  of  the  parish  until  his  decease,  May  12,  1766. 
His  Memoirs  and  Diary,  (with  a  likeness,)  were  published  in 
New  Haven  in  1843 — edited  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hitchcock.  The 
volume  contains  the  record  of  a  large  number  of  Baptisms  and 
Marriages  in  Litchfield.  As  heretofore  intimated,  Mr.  Palmer 
returned  to  Litchfield  and  continued  his  pastoral  duties  in  this 
place  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Mr.  Benjamin  Farn- 
ham,  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders,  officiated  in  the  parish  for 
a  few  months,  until  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Moseley, 
who  was  sent  hither  as  a  missionary  of  the  Society  in  England. 
Mr.  M.  was  not  welcomed  with  any  degree  of  cordiality,  and 
was  never  recognized  by  the  congregation  as  their  pastor.  He 
consequently  returned  to  England,  and  carried  with  him  such 
an  "ill  report"  of  the  parish  as  to  cause  a  suspension  of  the 
annual  allowance  from  the  English  Society  for  the  year  1773. 
On  a  due  representation  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  the  salary 
was  restored  in  1774. 

The  Rev.  James  Nichols,  a  native  of  Waterbury  and  a  grad- 
uate of  Yale  College,  became  Rector  of  the  parish,  April  20th, 
1775.  Though  he  is  represented  to  have  been  a  talented  and 
popular  preacher,  the  excitement  consequent  upon  the  Revo- 
lution drove  him  from  the  pulpit,  and  the  church  was  closed 
until  1780.  Mr.  Nichols  then  resumed  his  ministerial  duties, 
and  the  society  from  that  time  gradually  increased  in  numbers 

*  The  Episcopalians  of  Litchfield  have  good  cause  to  remember  the  Davies 
family  with  gratitude.  John  Davies,  Sen.,  (in  addition  to  the  gift  of  tbe  lands 
referred  to,)  was  perhaps  the  most  liberal  contributor  towards  erecting  the  first 
Episcopal  church  in  tliis  town.  He  died  November22,  1758,  and  his  remains  wcro 
brought  seven  miles  from  Ins  residence  and  interred  in  our  West  Burying  Ground, 
where  they  rest  without  a  stone  to  mark  the  spot.  He  ordered  gifts  of  mourning 
apparel  to  lie  made  to  his  colleagues  in  erecting  the  church.  John  Davies,  Jr., 
in  January,  1794,  gave  a  piece  of  land  near  his  residence  in  Davies  Hollow,  for 
a  church  and  Imrying-ground,  on  which,  mainly  at  his  own  expense,  a  place  of 
worship  was  erected.  Aged  and  infirm,  he  sat  in  the  door  of  his  house  and  wit- 
nessed the  raising  of  the  building,  lie  departed  this  life,  May  19,  1797,  in  his 
8-1  th  year.     His  widow,  Mary,  died  December  15,  1801,  in  her  26th  year. 

On  the  organization  of  the  town  of  Washington  in  1779,  Davies  Hollow  was 
annexed  to  that  township. 


PROGRESS   OF   EPISCOPACY.  l>i 

and  iii  public  favor.  On  the  26th.  of  October,  1784,  it  was  in- 
corporated by  an  Act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Slate, 
and  thereupon  it  was  duly  organized  according  to  law. 

Episcopacy  in  Litchfield  had  thus  far  been  tolerated, and  the 
the  members  of  the  society  had  for  the  most  part  been  treated 
by  their  fellow-townsmen  with  the  ordinary  courtesies  of  Life  ; 
but  a  large  majority  of  the  people  of  the  town  as  well  as  of  the 
members  of  the  colonial  and  State  governments,  seem  to  have 
been  particularly  loth  to  do  anything  that  might  look  like  en- 
eowraging  dissent  from  what  had  so  long  been  the  established 
religion  of  Connecticut.  In  1785,  an  "Address  of  Thanks"' 
to  the  Legislature  was  drawn  up  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nichols  and 
signed  by  Daniel  Landon,  Jr.,  in  behalf  of  the  society,  for  the 
act  of  incorporation.  "  Wishing  the  favor  of  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  to  adorn  our  Society"  (wrote  Mr.  Landon,)  "  they 
nominated  Mr.  Seth  Landon,  with  some  others,  as  a  fit  person 
to  fill  that  office."  Seventeen  years  after  this  request  was 
made,  Mr.  Seth  Landon  was  for  the  first  time  appointed  to 
the  office  for  which  he  was  thus  nominated  ;  nor  do  I  find 
that,  m-the  intermediate  time,  more  than  one  Episcopalian 
was  appointed  to  the  magistracy  for  this  town !  It  was  not 
until  the  Jeffersonian  Campaign,  when  Messrs.  Champion  and 
Huntington  began  to  introduce  politics  into  their  sermons  and 
prayers,  that  Episcopacy  became  sufficiently  formidable  in  the 
town  to  demand  its  full  share  of  civil  and  political  rights. 

Mr.  Nichols  resigned  his  charge  of  the  parish  in  May,  1784; 
and  on  the  9th  of  September,  1785,  the  Rev.  Ashbcl  Baldwin, 
(a  native  of  Litchfield  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,)  be- 
came the  Rector  of  St.  Michael's,  and  continued  to  occupy 
the  position  for  about  eight  years — when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  David  Butler,  (afterwards  D.  D.)  His  successors 
have  been  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Truman  Marsh,  Isaac  Jones,  John 
S.  Stone,  D.  D.,  William  Lucas,  Samuel  Fuller,  D.  D., 
William  Payne,  John  J.  Brandagce,  Benjamin  W.  Stone,  J. 
M.  Willey,  and  the  present  Rector,  Rev.  H.  N.  Hudson. 

In  1796,  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Butler,  a  large  number 
of  Episcopalians  residing  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  seceded 
from  the  first  Episcopal  Society,  and  erected  a  new  church. 


182  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

The  edifice,  which  stood  upon  the  hill  nearly  opposite  the 
Biirying-Ground  at  Bantam  Falls,  was  fifty  feet  long  by  thirty- 
six  broad,  and  was  surmounted  by  a  tower,  bell,  and  steeple. 
It  was  planned  and  built  by  Mr.  Giles  Kilbourn,  who  died 
on  the  13th  of  September,  1797,  and  his  funeral  was  the  first 
attended  within  its  walls.*  In  October,  1797,  the  seccders 
petitioned  to  be  released  from  paying  taxes  to  the  First  Epis- 
copal Society,  and  for  permission  to  organize  themselves  into 
a  distinct  Society.  On  the  6th  of  November  following,  this 
petition  was  granted  ;  and  on  the  14th,  the  "  Second  Episcopal 
Society  of  Litchfield"  was  duly  organized,  with  the  following 
officers,  viz.,  Messrs.  David  Kilbourn,  John  Landon  and  Syl- 
vanus  Bishop,  Society's  Committee  ;  James  Kilbourn,  Clerk ; 
and  Heber  Stone,  Treasurer.  In  1803,  the  two  Societies  were 
amicably  united,  and  so  continue  at  the  present  time — though 
they  manage  a  portion  of  their  affairs  independently  of  each 
other,  and  have  different  Rectors.  The  Old  West  Church  "(as 
it  was  called,)  was  occupied  as  a  place  of  public  worship  about 
forty-six  years,  and  was  taken  down  in  the  summer  of  1843 — 
a  smaller  edifice  having  about  that  time  been  erected  a  few 
rods  farther  west.  Services  were  held  for  the  first  time  in  the 
new  church — which  bears  the  name  of  St.  Paul's — on  Sunday, 
December  24th,  1843,  by  the  Rev.  G.  C.  V.  Eastman,  the 
newly  appointed  Rector. 

At  the  commencement  of  Mr.  Marsh's  ministry  in  this  town, 
in  1799,  he  agreed  to  preach  one-fifth  of  the  time  in  Milton, 
where  there  were  a  few  families  of  Episcopalians ;  and  in  1802 
a  neat  and  convenient  church  was  erected  in  that  section  of 
the  town.  It  was  raised  on  the  25th  of  June,  1802  ;  finished 
in  1827  ;  consecrated  by  Bishop  Brownell  in  1837,  and  is  still 
in  use. 

There  is  also  a  flourishing  Episcopal  church  and  society  in 
Northfield,  in  the  south-east  part  of  this  town,  under  the  care 
of  the  Rev.  Frederick  Holcomb,  D.  D.,  of  "Watertown. 

*  Mr.  K.  was  enthusiastically  devoted  to  bis  business  as  a  Builder,  and  did  much 
in  his  generation  to  improve  the  architecture  of  this  vicinity.  The  Tallmadge 
House,  and  the  present  residences  of  William  Deming  and  Henry  R.  Coit,  Esq's., 
(all  in  this  village,)  were  built  by  him.  An  obituary  notice  of  him  in  the  Monitor, 
(which  is  understood  to  have  been  written  by  the  licv.  Dr.  Butler,)  says — "  lie 
\v;is  a  man  of  uncommon  industry,  and  a  very  valuable  member  of  society."  Hi* 
funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  Butler. 


METHODISM    IN   LITCHFIELD.  183 

Iii  June,  1790,  the  Rev.  Freeborn  Garretson,  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  earnest  Apostles  of  Methodism  in  America, 
visited  Litchfield  on  his  way  from  the  Hudson  river  to  Boston. 
He  was  at  that  time  Superintendent  of  the  Northern  District, 
and,  in  his  itinerant  journeyings,  was  almost  invariably  attend- 
ed by  his  colored  servant,  Harry,  who  was  himself  a  licensed 
preacher  of  no  mean  distinction.  They  traveled  together  on 
horseback,  apparently  vieing  with  each  other  in  their  zeal  for 
the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  their  common  Master.  On 
Wednesday,  June  23d,  (as  we  learn  from  Dr.  Stevens'  Memo- 
rials of  Methodism,')  Mr.  Garretson  "  rode  seven  miles  to 
Litchfield,  and  was  surprized  to  find  the  doors  of  the  Episco- 
pal church  open,  and  a  large  congregation  waiting  for  him. 
He  discoursed  from  the  words — '  Enoch  walked  with  God,'  — 
and  believed  good  was  done.  He  left  Harry  topi-each  another 
sermon,  and  went  on  to  the  centre  of  the  town  ;  the  bell  rang, 
and  he  preached  to  a  few  in  the  Presbyterian  meeting-house, 
and  lodged  with  a  kind  churchman."  On  the  same  day,  Mr. 
Garretson  wrote  in  his  Diary — "  I  preached  in  the  skirts  of 

the  town,  where  I  was  opposed  by ,  who  made  a  great 

disturbance.  I  told  him  the  enemy  had  sent  him  to  pick  up 
the  good  seed ;  turned  my  back  on  him,  and  went  my  way, 
accompanied  by  brothers  W.  and  H.  I  found  another  waiting 
company,  in  another  part  of  the  town,  to  whom  I  declared, 
'  Except  ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.'  In  this  town 
we  have  given  the  devil  and  the  wicked  much  trouble  ;  we 
have  a  few  good  friends."  On  his  return  from  Boston,  Mr. 
Garretson  again  preached  in  Litchfield — Friday,  July  13, 1790. 
So  far  as  I  have  learned,  these  were  the  first  Methodist  ser- 
mons ever  preached  in  this  town. 

The  Litchfield  Circuit  was  organized  during  the  spring  of 
1790,  and  embraced,  according  to  Mr.  Stevens,  "  the  north- 
western section  of  Connecticut."  In  May,  1791,  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Matthias  Swain  and  James  Covel  were  appointed  by 
the  conference  to  labor  in  this  Circuit.  Their  immediate  suc- 
cessors, previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  present  century, 
were,  Rev.  Messrs.  Lemuel  Smith,  Samuel  Ostrander,  Philip 
Wagner,  James  Coleman,  Enoch  Mudge,  F.  Aldridge,  Jesse 


184  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Stoncman,  Joseph  Mitchell,  Daniel  Dennis,  Wesley  Budd, 
Ezekiel  Canfield,  William  Thatcher,  Ebcnezcr  Stevens,  Free- 
man Bishop  and  Augustus  Jocelyn. 

On  the  21st  of  July,  1791,  the  famous  Bishop  Asbury 
preached  in  the  Episcopal  church  in  this  town.  In  reference 
to  his  visit  here,  he  wrote — "  I  think  Morse's  account  of  his 
countrymen  is  near  the  truth  ;  never  have  I  seen  any  people 
who  could  talk  so  long,  so  correctly,  and  so  seriously,  about 
trifles."     A  hard  hit,  certainly  ! — is  it  not  too  well  deserved  ? 

I  have  found  no  records  whatever,  indicating  the  progress 
of  this  denomination  in  Litchfield,  for  many  years  subsequent 
to  the  last  of  the  dates  here  given.  The  names  of  the  follow- 
ing persons  in  our  Grand  List  for  1805,  are  put  down  as  "  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Society,"  viz.,  Noah  Agard,  Isaac  Bald- 
win, Ebenezer  Clark,  Thomas  F.  Gross,  Elisha  Horton,  Samuel 
Green,  Jonathan  Hitchcock,  Roswell  McNeil,  Jonathan  Rogers, 
Daniel  Noyes,  John  Stone  and  Arthur  Swan. 

In  1837,  a  handsome  church  edifice  was  erected  by  the 
Methodists,  in  Meadow  street,  in  this  village,  which  was  dedi- 
cated on  the  27th  of  July  of  that  year.  The  dedication  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Professor  Holdich,  of  the  Wesleyan 
University ;  and  an  appropriate  discourse  was  delivered  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Washburn.  The  following  clergymen  have  since 
been  stationed  here,  generally  for  two  years  each — Rev.  Messrs. 
Charles  Chittenden,  Keyes,  Gad  Smith,  Jason  Wells,  D.  L. 
Marks,  William  Dixon,  Joseph  Henson,  William  B.  Hoyt,  N. 
C.  Lewis,  H.  N.  Weed,  Lounsbury,  and  William  Howard. 

The  number  of  members  of  this  church,  as  reported  to  the 
Conference  about  a  year  since,  is  113. 

In  addition  to  the  church  in  this  village,  there  is  a  Metho- 
dist church  in  Milton  and  another  on  Mount  Tom. 

The  late  Rev.  Horace  Agard,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph L.  Morse, 
are,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  the  only  natives  of  the  town  who 
have  become  Methodist  ministers. 

There  is  a  flourishing  Baptist  Church  and  Society  at  Ban- 
tam Falls,  under  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ganun.  For- 
merly there  was  a  Baptist  Church  in  Northfield,  which  flour- 
ished for  several  years  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Seth  Higley  and  Levi  Peck. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   NOTES 
ui  gfetta  anb  ScsQwds  of  Ibc  To  ton  of  J  itcIitfclTr. 


ADAMS,  Samuel,  a  native  of  Milford  and  long  a  resident  of 
Stratford,  came  to  this  village  to  reside  a  few  years  previous  to  his 
death — which  took  place  here,  November  12,  1788,  in  the  85th  year 

of  his  age.  He  had  been  a  prominent  lawyer  and  Judge  of  the  Fair- 
field County  Court.  His  widow,  Mrs.  Mary  Adams,  died  in  this 
town,  August  2'J,  1803,  in  (he  one  hundred  and  sixth  year  of  her  <i</r. 
"She  retained,"  says  the  Monitor, "  her  memory,  reason  and  activity 
remarkably,  until  about  two  years  before  her  death.  After  she  was 
an  hundred  years  old,  she  rode  on  horseback  thirty  miles  in  one  day." 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Zachariah  Fairehild,  and  was  born  in 
Stratford,  May  7,  1G98;  thus  having  lived  in  three  centuries! 

ADAMS,  Andrew,  LL.  D.,  (son  of  the  preceding,)  resided  in  this 
town  about  thirty  years,  and  became  Chief  Justice  of  the  State. 
He  died  in  this  village,  while  holding  that  office,  Nov.  27,  1797,  aged 
62.     [See  pp.  144  and  145.  of  this  volume.]  • 

ALLEN,  John,  a  native  of  Great  Harrington,  Mass.,  was  admitted 
to  the  Litchfield  Bar  in  178G,  and  continued  to  reside  here  as  a  prac- 
ticing lawyer  until  his  death,  in  the  year  1812.  He  was  a  Repre- 
sentative at  seven  sessions  ;  Clerk  of  the  House  in  IT'-Jli;  member  of 
Congress  from  1797  to  1799;  and  member  of  the  State  Council  from 
1800  to  1806.  He  not  only  possessed  great  powers  of  mind,  but  was 
remai^kable  for  his  imposing  presence — having  been  nearly  seven  feet 
in  height,  and  with  a  proportionably  heavy  frame.  He  was  buried 
in  our  East  Graveyard. 

ALLEN,  John  "W.,  (son  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
but  left  his  native  town  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  Having 
studied  law,  he  settled  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  became  eminent 
in  his  profession.  In  1837,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress 
from  Ohio,  and  was  re-elected  in  1839.  He  has  also  been  Mayor  of 
Cleveland,  Presidential  Elector,  etc. 

ALLEN,  General  Ethan,  the  Hero  of  Ticonderoga,  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  January  1<>,  1737-'8;  and  died  in  Burlington,  Vermont, 
February  13, 178(J,  aged  51  years.     [See  pp.  J  35,  etc.  of  this  volume.] 

24 


1S6  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

AGAKD.  Rev.  Horace,  (son  of  Mr.  Noah  Agard,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  received  a  license  to  preach  from  the  Methodist  Confer- 
ence, and  for  some  time  labored  successfully  in  his  native  town.  Re- 
moving to  the  State  of  New  York,  he  was  ordained  Deacon  in  Paris, 
by  Bishop  George,  in  1821,  and  two  years  later  he  was  ordained 
Elder  at  Westmoreland,  N.  Y..  by  the  same  Bishop.  For  eleven 
years  out  of  nineteen  of  effective  service  in  the  ministry,  he  was  Pre- 
siding Elder  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Berkshire  Districts.  He  died 
in  the  faith,  January  8,  1850. 

BACON.  Asa,  a  resident  of  Litchfield  from  1803  to  1852,  was  horn 
in  Canterbury,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1703,  and  died  in 
New  Haven  in  February,  1857,  aged  86.  tie  was  one  of  the  most 
eminent  lawyers  at  the  Litchfield  har.  II is  widow,  (a  daughter  of 
the  late  Hon.  Epaphroditus  Champion,  of  East  Haddara,)  is  still  living 
in  New  Haven. 

BACON,  Epaphroditus  Champion,  (eldest  son  of  the  preceding,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield  in  1811  ;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1833; 
and  settled  in  his  native  town  as  a  lawyer.  In  1839,  he  was  a  Del- 
egate to,  and  Secretary  of,  the  National  Convention  which  met  at 
Harrisburg  and  nominated  General  Harrison  for  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Bacon  was  elected  a  Representative  from 
this  town  in  1840,  and  again  in  1841.  He  was  a  diligent  antiquarian 
and  genealogist.  While  traveling  in  Europe,  he  died  at  Seville, 
Spain,  January  11,  1845,  aged  34  years. 

BACON,  Lieutenant  Frederick  A.,  (son  of  Asa  Bacon,  Esq..) 
was  born  in  Litchfield  in  1813  ;  entered  the  Navy  in  his  youth,  and 
■was  attached  to  the  U.  S.  Schooner  Sea  Gull  oi  the  Exploring  Expe- 
dition, which  foundered  off  Cape  Horn,  May  1st,  1839,  and  all  on 
board  perished.  *He  was  26  years  of  age.  Lieut.  Bacon  was  mar- 
ried, and  left  one  son. 

BACON,  General  Francis,  (youngest  son  of  Asa  Bacon,  Esq.,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield  in  January,  1820;  graduated  at  Yale  College 
in  1838:  studied  law  with  the  Hon.  O.  S.  Seymour,  and  settled  as  a 
lawyer  in  his  native  town.  With  the  exception  of  two  or  three  years, 
lie  continued  to  reside  here  until  his  death.  In  1847  and  1848,  he 
was  First  Clerk  of  the  House;  and  in  1849,  he  was  elected  to  the 
Senate  of  this  State,  lie  was  also  Major  General  of  all  the  Militia 
of  Connecticut.  He  died  in  this  town,  September  J 6,  1849,  aged  29 
years  and  8  months.  General  Bacon  married  Elizabeth  Dutcher,  of 
Canaan,  and  left  one  daughter,  Kate. 

BALDWIN,  Isaac,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1735,  settled  in 
Litchfield  in  1742,  and  died  here,  January  15,  1805,  aged  95  years. 
He  was  a  Representative  at  ten  sessions,  Clerk  of  the  Probate  Court 
twenty-nine  years,  Town  Clerk  thirty-one  years,  and  Clerk  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  forty-two  years  ! 

BALDWIN,  Rev.Ashbel,  (son  of  Isaac  Baldwin,  Esq.,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  March.  7,  1757, and  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1776. 


BIOGRAPHY  187 

lie  was  ordained  Deacon  at  Middletown,  by  Bishop  Seabury,  Aug. 
3,  1785 — being  the  first  Episcopal  ordination  in  the  United  States. 
In  September  following',  he  was  ordained  Priest  by  the  same  Bishop. 
From  1785  to  1703,  he  was  Rector  of  St.  Michael's  church  in  this 
town,  and  was  afterwards  for  about  thirty  years  Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Stratford.  He  was  Secretary  of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut, 
and  member  of  the  General  Convention.  Mr.  Baldwin  died  in  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  February  8.  1816,  in  his  80th  year.  From  his  register 
it  appears  that  he  had  preached  and  performed  service  about  10,000 
times;  baptized  3,010  persons  ;  married  GOO  couple;  and  buried  about 
3,000  persons ! 

BALDWIN,  "William  B.,  (son  of  Captain  Horace  and  grandson  of 
Isaac  Baldwin,  Esq.,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  January  7,  1803,  and 
has  been  for  more  than  twenty  years  past  one  of  the  editors  anil  pro- 
prietors of  the  New  Haven  Daily  and  Weekly  Register.  He  has  also 
been  State  Printer,  member  of  the  Common  Council  of  the  City  of 
New  Haven,  &C, 

BARNES,  Amos,  (son  of  Mr.  Enos  Barnes,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, and  settled  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was 
an  officer  in  actual  service  in  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain  ;  has 
since  been  a  Selectman,  Magistrate,  and  Trial  Justice  of  the  Police 
Court ;  and  in  1837  and  again  in  1838,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives. 

BEE  BE,  Bezaleel,  a  Colonel  in  the  continental  army,  was  bora  in 
Litchfield,  April  28,  1741  ;  died  May  2s,  1824.     [See  p.  145.] 

BEECHER,  Lyman,  D.  D.,  was  born  in  New  Haven,  October  12, 
1775;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1797  ;  and  was  ordained  pastor 
of  a  church  in  East  Hampton,  L.  I.,  in  December  1J98,  witha  salary 
of  (300  per  year.  In  1810,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  he  was 
in.-talled  pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  Litchfield,  and  remained  here 
in  that  capacity  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years.  This  was,  as  he  him- 
self states,  by  far  the  most  active  and  laborious  part  of  Ins  life.  In 
addition  to  his  ordinary  pastoral  services,  he  was  probably  more  con- 
spicuously identified  with  the  establishment  of  the  great  benevolent 
associations  of  the  day,  than  any  other  country  pastor  in  New  Eng- 
land. Returning,  full  of  zeal,  from  the  first  meeting  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  in  1812,  he  called  to- 
gether, in  this  village,  several  clergymen  and  laymen  from  various 
parts  of  the  county,  who  organized  the  Litchfield  County  Foreign 
Mission  Society — the  first  Auxiliary  of  the  American  Boabd. 
He  was  active  in  all  the  reforms  of  that  period.  His  Six  Sermons  on 
Intemperance,  which  were  preached  in  our  old  meeting-house  in  L826, 
were  widely  circulated  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  were  among 
the  earliest  and  most  effective  means  in  arousing  the  Christian  world 
to  the  evils  of  intemperance.  In  182(3,  Di:  Beecher  became  pastor 
of  the  Hanover  street  Church  in  Boston;  and  in  1832,  he  accepted 
the  Presidency  of  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  Ohio,  in  which  lat- 
ter office  he   continued  for  some  ten  years.      Subsequently,  for  a  few 


188  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Years  he  was  engaged  in  preparing  his  Works  for  the  press.  He 
m,w  resides  in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Dr.  Beecher  has  been  three 
limes  married,  and  has  had  thirteen  children,  viz.,  1  Catharine  E., 
distinguished  as  an  author;  2  Rev.  William  II.;  3  Rev.  Edward, 
D.lf.,  ex-President  of  Illinois  College;  4  Mary  Foote,  m.  the  lion. 
Thomas  C.  Perkins,  of  Hartford ;  5  Harriet,  died  young,  on  Long 
Island;  6  Rev.  George,  died  in  Chilicothie,  Ohio;  7  Harriet,  m. 
Rev.  Dr.  Calvin  E.  Stowe,  now  of  Andover,  Mass.;  8  Rev.  Henry 
Ward;  9  Rev.  Charles,  of  Georgetown,  Mass.;  10  Frederick,  died 
young,  in  Litchfield;  11  Isabella  Holmes,  m.  John  Hooker.  Esq.,  of 
Hartford  ;  12  Rev.  Thomas  K.,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  13  Rev.  James  C, 
Seamen's  Chaplain  in  China.  Of  these,  Mrs.  Stowe,  Henry  Ward, 
Charles,  Frederick,  Mrs.  Hooker,  and  Thomas  K.,  were  born  in 
Litchfield. 

BEECHER,  Rev.  Henry  Ward,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  June  24, 
1813  ;  graduated  at  Amherst  College  in  1834  ;  was  licensed  to  preach 
in  April,  1838;  and  was  settled  as  pastor  of  a  church  in  Lawrence- 
burgh,  Indiana,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  From  August  1839  to 
October,  1847,  he  was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana  ; 
and  since  the  last  named  date  he  has  been  pastor  of  the  Plymouth 
Church,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  powerful  and  popular  preacher 
and  lecturer,  and  is  said  by  the  New  American  Cyclopedia  to  have 
"the  largest  uniform  congregation  in  the  United  States."  He  is  the 
author  of  a  volume  of  Lectures  to  Young  Men;  The  Star  Papers  ; 
Views  and  Experiences;  Talks  about  Fruits,  Flowers,  and  Farming, 
&c. ;  and  two  volumes  oi'extracts  from  his  extemporaneous  discources, 
noted  down,  edited,  and  published,  by  members  of  his  congregation, 
have  had  an  extensive  circulation.  Mr.  Beecher  was  married,  Aug. 
3, 1837,  to  Eunice,  daughter  of  Dr.  Artemas  Ballard,  of  W,  Sutton,  Ms. 

BEERS,  Seth  P.,  was  born  in  Woodbury,  July  1,  1781,  studied 
law  with  the  Hon.  Epbraim  Kirby,  and  at  the  Litchfield  Law  School, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  the  20th  of  March,  1805.  He  has 
ever  since  resided  in  this  village.  In  November,  1813,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Madison,  Collector  of  the  Direct  Taxes  and 
Internal  Revenue  of  the  United  States,  for  Litchfield  county,  and  held 
the  ollicc  until  it  was  abolished  in  1820.  He  was  also  State's  Attor- 
ney for  five  years,  and  a  Representative  in  18211.  1821,  1822  and  1823. 
In  1821,  he  was  Clerk  of  the  House,  and  during  the  sessions  of  the 
two  succeeding  years  he  was  Speaker.  In  1824,  he  was  elected  a 
State  Senator,  and,  while  holding  that  office,  the  Legislature  appoint- 
ed him  Assistant  Commissioner  of  the  School  Fund.  On  the  resig- 
nation of  the  Hon.  James  Hillhouse,  he  was  appointed  sole  Commis- 
sioner, June  1,  1825,  and  resigned  said  office  to  take  effect  December 
1  1849.  The  Legislature  passed  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr. 
Beers  "for  his  long,  laborious  and  faithful  labors  as  Commissioner  of 
the  School  Fund."  Mr.  B.  has  also  been  a  candidate  for  Congi-ess  ; 
and  in  1839,  he  was  the  regular  democratic  nominee  tor  Governor. 
I]c  was  a  Presidential  Elector  in  183G,  and  State  Superintendent 
of  Common  Schools  from  1815  to  1849. 


BIOGRAPHY.  1S<J 

BIRD,  John,  (son  of  Dr.  Seth  Bird,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Nov. 
22,   1768;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in   1786;  practiced  law  tor  a 

few  years  iii  his  native  town  ;  removed  to  Tioy,  X.  Y.,  in  179  !,  and 
died  there  in  the  year  1806,  aged  38  years,  lie  had  been  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  and  a  member  of  Congress  from  that 
State.  Ex-President  Van  Buren  thus  writes  to  the  author  of  this  vol- 
ume concerning  hi  no  :  "John  Bird  I  did  not  know  personally,  but 
have  always  taken  much  interest  in  his  character  and  career.  He 
must,  according  to  all  accounts,  have  been  one  of  the  very  ablest  men 
in  the  State,  though  a  very  eccentric  one.  There  have  been  but  lew 
men  among  us,  who  have  left  behind  them  so  many  racy  anec 
illustrative  of  their  peculiarities."  His  first  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Col.  Joshua  Porter,  of  Salisbury ;  his  second  wife  was  Sally  Buel, 
daughter  of  Mr.  David  Buel,  of  Troy,  formerly  of  this  town.  He  left 
several  children. 

BIRGE,  Gen.  John  Ward, was  born  in  Litchfield,  January  7,  1803, 
and  in  his  youth  went  to  reside  with  an  uncle  in  Cazenovia,  N.  Y. 
He  received  his  medical  degree  at  Geneva  College,  and  is  a  successful 
practitioner  in  Utica,  where,  as  a  surgeon  and  occulist,  he  lias  a  high 
reputation.  He  is,  however,  principally  famous  for  his  connection 
with  the  Patriot  War  in  Canada  in  1837-'8.  He  had  previously  been 
Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  of  New  York  State  Cavalry;  ami, 
while  holding  the  office  of  Brigadier  General,  (an  extensive  organi- 
zation being  perfected  along  the  lines,  having  for  its  object  the 
freedom  of  the  Canadas  from  British  rule.)  he  was  waited  upon  by  a 
deputation  from  the  executive  committee  having  the  matter  in  charge, 
who  urged  upon  him  the  acceptance  of  a  Major  General*-  commission, 
with  the  command  of  the  second  of  the  three  Divisions.  After  some 
hesitation,  he  accepted  the  position,  and  fixed  his  headquarters  at 
Watertown,  X.  Y.  The  confidence  and  enthusiasm  of  the  people  on 
the  subject,  for  fifty  miles  on  each  side  of  the  lines,  was  so  unbounded, 
that  such  a  thing  as  failure  seems  not  to  have  been  thought  of.  The 
whole  plan  of  operations,  however,  was  frustrated  by  a  rash  attempt 
of  Colonel  Yon  Shoultz,  a  gallant  Polander,  to  land  at  Prescott  with 
his  regiment.  Success  would  have  made  Heroes  and  Patriots  of  the 
chief  actors  in  the  enterprize  ;  failure  made  them  Rebels  and  Traitors. 
Von  Shoultz  and  others  were  hanged,  some  were  banished,  and  some 
(among  whom  was  the  subject  of  this  sketch)  were  tried  for  a  breach 
of  the  neutrality  laws.  General  Birge  is  a  son  of  the  late  Joseph 
Birge,  Esq.,  who  died  in  this  town  in  Ps.34. 

BISSELL,  George  Beckwith,  (son  of  Mr.  John  Bissell,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  Sept.  12,  1823,  entered  the  United  States  Navy  in  his 
youth.  In  August,  1846,  he  was  attached  to  the  U.  S.  Brig  Truxton 
when  she  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Mexico,  and  with  others  was 
seized  and  held  as  a  pri  -oner  of  war.  On  his  release,  he  made  a  visit 
to  his  native  town ;  but  soon  re-joined  the  Navy,  and  for  eighteen 
months  was  attached  to  the  scientific  department  at  Washington,  lie 
joined  the  Frigate  Cumberland  in  New  York,  as  Sailing  Master,  on 
the  -31st  of  August,  and  died  at  the  Naval  Hospital  in  Brooklyn,  Sep- 


190  II1STOKY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

tember  10,  18  18,  aged  25  years.  His  remains  were  brought  here  for 
iuterment.  His  elder  brothers,  John  Bissell,  Jr., and  Edward  Bissell, 
Esq'rs.,  (both  lawyers  in  New  York  city,)  were  born  in   the  State  of 

New  York,  but  resided  many  years  in  Litchfield.  The  latter  has 
been  a  Purser  in  the  Navy. 

BISSELL,  Lyman,  (son  of  Mr.  Hiram  Bissell,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, October  19,  1812;  was  Captain  in  the  United  States  Army, 
and  Paymaster  of  the  New  England  Regiment,  in  the  War  with 
Mexico  ;  and  is  still  an  officer  in  the  Army. 

BRACE,  John  P.,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  February  10th,  1793  ; 
graduated  at  Williams  College  in  1812;  and  was  for  some  years 
Principal  of  the  Litchfield  Female  Academy,  and  subsequently  ot'the 
Hartford  Female  Seminary.  For  eight  or  ten  years  past,  he  has 
been  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Hartford  Daily  and  Weekly  Courant. 
Mr.  Brace  is  the  author  of  Lectures  to  Young  Converts,  Tales  of  the 
Devils,  and  The  Fawn  of  the  Pale  Faces. 

BRACE,  Charles  Loring,  the  celebrated  traveler,  is  a  son  of  John 
P.  Brace,  Esq.,  and  was  born  in  Litchfield,  June  19,  1826.  Having 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1840,  and  pursued  a  course  of  theologi- 
cal studies,  he  spent  several  years  traveling  in  Europe;  as  a  part  of 
the  fruits  of  which,  he  has  given  to  the  public  three  or  four  very  in- 
teresting volumes,  viz.,  Hungary  in  1851,  Home  Life  in  Germany, 
The  Norse  Folk,  &c.  In  May,  1851,  during  the  Hungarian  struggle 
for  independence,  Mr.  Brace  was  seized  as  a  spy  by  the  Austrian  au- 
thorities, and  imprisoned  at  Gross  Wardein  ;  but  after  a  lapse  of 
thirty  days,  he  was  released  through  the  intervention  of  Mr.  McCurdy, 
then  American  Minister  to  Austria.  He  is  now  Secretary  of  the 
Children's  Aid  Society  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

BRADLEY',  Abraham,  (son  of  Abraham  Bradley,  Esq.,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  February  21,  17G7,  studied  law,  and  became  a  Judge  in 
Luzerne  county,  Penn.  From  1799  to  1829,  he  was  First  Assistant 
Postmaster  General  of  the  United  States.  He  drew  and  published 
a  Map  Of  all  the  Post  Roads  in  the  Union,  with  the  Post  Offices  and 
distances  clearly  defined.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  the  city  of 
Washington  a  few  years  since. 

BRADLEY',  Dr.  Phineas,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  July  17,  1709;  married  Hannah  Jones,  of  this  town,  and 
settled  here  as  a  physician  and  druggist.  When  the  office  of  Second 
Assistant  Postmaster  General  was  created  by  Congress,  Dr.  Bradley 
was  appointed,  and  retained  the  position  for  about  twenty-five  years. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  wealth,  and  distinguished  for  his  hospitality 
and  benevolence.  He  died  at  his  beautiful  seat,  Clover  Hill,  two 
miles  north  of  the  national  capitol,  in  the  spring  of  1845,  aged  7G. 

BRADLEY,  William  A.,  (son  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  July  25,  1794,  and  settled  in  the  City  of  Washington, 
where  he  still  resides.  He  has  been  Presidentof  the  Patriotic  Bank, 
Postmaster,  and  Mayor  of  the  city. 


BIOGRAPHY.  19[ 

BUEL,  David,  Jr.,  born  in  Litchfield,  October  22,  17*  1  ;  gradua- 
ted at  Williams  College  ill  1805  ;  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  Troy,  where 
he  still  resides.  In  1821,  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  his  adopted  State;  for  some  years  held  the  office  of  First 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  Renselaer  county;  and  in 
1842,  he  was  elected  a  Regent  of  the  State  University — a  position 
which  he  still  holds.  From  1829  to  1847,  Judge  Bind  was  a  Trustee 
of  Williams  College.  May  21th,  1814,  he  married  Harriet,  daughter 
of  John  G.  Ilillhousc,  Esq.,  of  Montville,  Conn.,  and  has  several 
sons  and  daughters, 

BUSHNELL,  Rev.  Horace,  B.  D.,  (son  of  Ensign  Bushnell,  Esq.) 

was  born  in  Litchfield  in  1802;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1S27, 
and  was  a  Tutor  in  that  institution  from  1829  to  1831.  For  the 
last  twenty-seven  years,  he  has  been  pastor  of  the  North  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Hartford.  He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  from  the  Wesleyan  University  in  1842,  and  from  Harvard 
College  in  1S52.  Besides  a  large  number  of  published  Addresses 
and  Sermons,  he  is  the  author  of  several  theological  works  that 
have  elicited  much  attention  on  both  sides  of  the  ocean — among  which 
are  God  in  Christ,  Nature  and  the  Supernatural,  and  Sermons  fur  the 
New  Life. 

CATLIN,  Julius,  (son  of  Mr.  Grove  Catlin,)  was  born  in  Ilar- 
winton  in  1799.  When  he  was  about  one  year  old,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  this  village,  and  this  continued  to  be  his  home  for  the  suc- 
ceeding twenty  years,  though  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  commenced  his 
clerkship  in  Hartford.  He  became  a  successful  merchant  in  that 
city,  where  he  still  resides.  Many  years  ago  he  was  a  Director  of 
the  Connecticut  Branch  of  the  United  States  Bank,  and  was  one  of 
the  Committee  appointed  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  that  institution, 
when  the  parent  Bank  had  been  crushed  by  the  veto  of  General 
Jackson.  In  184G,  he  was  appointed  Commissary  General  of  the 
State,  and  subsequently  he  held  the  olfice  of  Auditor  of  Public  Ac- 
counts. The  President  of  the  United  States,  in  1847,  commissioned 
Colonel  Catlin  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  to  the  National 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  In  the  autumn  of  1850,  Colonel 
Catlin  and  ex-Governor  Dutton  were  chosen  Presidential  Electors 
for  the  State  at  large.  At  the  annual  election  in  April,  1858,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  chosen  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Connect!- 
ant — an  office  which,  by  re-election  in  April  last,  he  still  holds.  It 
is  pleasant  to  his  Litchfield  friends  to  know  that  long  absence  has  not 
obliterated  his  recollections  of  these  cherished  scenes.  In  a  recent 
letter  to  tin;  author  of  this  volume,  he  says — "I  look  back  with  de- 
light on  the  many  days  and  years  of  my  childhood  and  youth  spent  at 
my  happy  home.  My  recollections  of  Litchfield  are  indeed  pleasant. 
I  love  its  very  name,  and  shall  ever  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  the  place."  Would  that  all  the  emigrant  Sons  of  Litchfield  might 
carry  with  them,  and  retain  through  life,  the  same  genial  love  for 
their  early  homes  !  In  1829,  Mr.  Catlin  married  Mary  Fisher,  of 
Wrentham,  Mass.,  (a  sister  of  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Joel  I  [awes,  I).  D.,) 


192  HisTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

and  has  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  arc  living.  For  the  last 
fifteen  years,  he  hasresidedin  Asylum  street,  on  the  height  of  ground 
adjacenl  to  the  Railroad — formerly  known  as  the  Sigourney  Place — 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  situations  in  Hartford. 

CATLTN,  Putnam,  (son  of  Mr.  Eli  Catlin,)  was  horn  in  Litch- 
field, studied  law  with  General  Tracy,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  tins  town  in  1786.  He  settled  in  Montrose,  Penn.,  and  there  held 
the  office  of  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  lie  was  the 
lather  of  George  Catlin,  the  celebrated  artist  and  historian  of  the 
American  Indians,  who  was  himself  educated  in  Litchfield. 

CHURCH,  Samuel,  LL.  J).,  a  native  and  former  resident  of  Salis- 
bury, came  to  Litchfield  to  reside  in  1845,  and  remained  here  until 
his  death  in  the  autumn  of  1854.  He  had  long  been  in  public  life; 
and,  while  residing  in  this  town,  was  chosen  Chief  Justice  of  the  State 
and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Trinity  College. 

COLLIER,  John  Allen,  (son  of  Capt.  Thomas  Collier,  editor 
of  the  Monitor,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  November  13,  1787;  settled 
as  a  lawyer  in  Binghamton,  Broome  county,  N,  Y.,  and  still  resides 
there.  He  has  been  a  member  of  Congress,  Comptroller  of  the  State, 
Commissioner  to  revize  and  codify  the  laws,  Senatorial  Elector  for 
President  and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States,  and  Delegate  to 
and  Chairman  of  the  Whig  National  Convention  of  184S.  Mr.  Col- 
lin-has  long  been  one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of  the  State  of 
New  York.     He  was  offered  a  foreign  embassy  by  President  Fillmore. 

COLLIER,  General  James,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  May  30,  1789;  settled  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
was  Quartermaster  and  acting  Adjutant  at  the  Battle  of  Queenstown, 
and  participated  in  that  fight.  In  1819,  he  removed  to  Steubenville, 
Ohio,  his  present  residence,  where  he  has  held  the  offices  of  Colonel, 
Mayor  of  the  city,  State's  Attorney  of  the  county,  and  Paymaster 
General  of -Ohio.  A  few  years  since,  he  was  a  Commissioner,  with 
Thomas  Ewing  and  John  Brough,  to  settle  the  boundary  between 
Ohio  and  Virginia  in  conjunction  with  commissioners  from  the  latter 
State.  In  April,  1849,  General  Collier  was  appointed  by  President 
Fillmore  Collector  of  the  Customs  for  Upper  California,  with  orders 
to  take  the  overland  route  to  the  Pacific.  He  accepted  the  post,  and, 
under  the  escort  of  a  company  of  dragoons,  started  for  his  field  of 
labor.  He  was  live  months  on  his  journey,  sometimes  fighting  his  way 
through  hostile  tribes  of  Indians,  who  succeeded  in  killing  three  of  his 
men,  wounding  another,  and  stealing  twenty-seven  mules  and  all  his 
horses.  On  his  arrival  at  San  Francisco,  he  found  the  Territory  of 
California  governed  exclusively  by  military  authority.  Being  the 
only  civil  officer  of  the  federal  government  on  the  ground,  he  was  not 
only  Collector,  Appraiser,  Naval  Officer  and  Surveyor,  but  was  obli- 
ged also  to  perform  the  duties  of  Distiict  Judge,  District  Attorney, 
and  Marshal.  On  being  recalled  by  a  new  national  administration, 
he  was  met  with  the  charge  of  being  a  defaulter  to  the  government ; 
but  after  a  vexatious  suit,  he  was  fully  exonerated  by  the  U.  S.  Court. 


£>£^C^C^-<^/ 


BIOGRAPHY.  193 

DEMING,  Julius,  an  eminent  merchant  of  Litchfield,  was  bom  in 
Lyme,  April  15th,  1755,  and)  about  the  year  1781,  commenced 
business  in  this  village.  A  gentleman  of  remarkable  energy  and  en- 
terprise, lie  soon  visited  London,  ami  made  arrangements  to  import 
bis  goods  direct  from  that  city — which,  probably,  was  not  true  of  any 
other  country  merchant  in  Connecticut  He  is  universally  recogniz- 
ed by  our  citizens  as  tin-  most  thorough  aryl  successful  business  man 
who  has  ever  spent  his  life  among  us.  Prompt  in  his  engagements, 
scrupulously  upright  in  his  dealings,  and  disereet  and  liberal  in  his 
benefactions,  few  men  in  any  community  ever  enjoyed  more  implicitly 
the  confidence  of  all.  Mr.  Deming  had  little  taste  for  public  life.  He 
was  three  times  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
and  for  several  years  was  one  of  the  Magistrates  of  this  county.  From 
1801  to  1814,  he  served  in  the  office  of  County  Treasurer.  His  po- 
sition and  inlluer.ee  were  such, that,  had  lie  been  an  aspirant  for  politi- 
cal honors,  there  were  few  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  this 
Slate  which  lie  might  not  have  filled.  lie  died  in  this  town,  January 
23,  1 83S,  aged  83  years. 

DEMING,  Miner  R.,  (son  of  Stephen  Deming.  Esq,J  was  born 

in  Sharon,  February  24,  1810j  came  to  Litchfield  with  his  parents  in 
1820,  and  continued  to  reside  here  for  the  next  sixteen  years.  In 
1836,  he  removed  to  Cincinnati;  and  in  1839,  he  became  a  resident 
of  St.  Mary's,  Illinois.  As  Brigadier  General,  he  was  chief  in  com- 
mand of  the  Illinois  State  Troops  during  the  famous  Mormon  War. 
General  Deming  died  suddenly,  of  brain  lever.  September  10,  1  B  I "', 
while  holding  the  office  of  High  Sheriff  of  Hancock  county.  For 
some  time  before  leaving  Litchfield,  he  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Church  in  this  village,  and  one  of  the  Church  Committee.  He  married 
Abigail  Barnum,  of  Daubury,  and  left  a  family. 

DUTTOX,  Henry,  LL.  D.,  (of  New  Haven.)  formerly  Governor 
of  Connecticut,  and  now  Professor  of  Law  in  Yah.1  College,  was  born 
in  Plymouth,  February  12,  17'JG.  During  the  following  summer,  his 
father,  Mr.  Thomas  Dutton,  purchased  a  place  in  Litchfield  (North- 
field  Society.)  and  spent  the  seven  succeeding  years  in  this  town, 
The  earliest  recollections  of  the  Governor  are  of  his  Litchfield  home. 
In  subsequent  years,  he  returned  to  Northfield,  and  taught  school  two 
or  threeseasons,  before  his  admission  to  the  bar. 

GAY,  Colonel  Fisher,  (son  of  John  Gay,  Esq.,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, October  9,  1733  ;  graduated  at  Yale  College,  and  settled  in 
Farmington,  where  he  was  long  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Repre- 
sentative. In  the  early  part  of  the  Revolution  he  commanded  a 
ment  of  Connecticut  troops  gefit  fur  the  defense  of  New  York,  in 
which  city  he  died  in  1776. 

GOULD,  James,  LL.  Z>.,  a  native  of  Branford,  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1791  ;  settled  in  Litchfield, and  was  associated  with  Judge 
Gould  in  conducting  the  Law  School  in  this  town  from  17i»8  to  1820, 
and  subsequently,  for  about  thirteen  years,  he  was  the  sole  Principal 
of  that  institution.     From  1810  to  181 0,  he  was  a  Judge  of  the  Su- 

25 


194  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

premc  Court  of  this  State.  Gould's  Pleading  is  a  standard  work  in 
all  our  Courts.  He  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  profoundest  lawyers 
and  jurists  in  the  country.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  his  alma  mater  in  1819.  He  died  May  11, 1838, 
aged  68.  Judge  Gould  married  Sally  McCurdy,  daughter  of  Gen. 
Uriah  Tracy,  and  had  nine  children,  viz.,  1  William  Tracy,  now  a 
Judge  in  Augusta,  Georgia.  2  Henry  G.  3  James  R.  4  Edward 
S.  5  George,  of  Troy  ;  now  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
York.  6  Julia.  7  Charles,  of  New  York  city  ;  late  President  of  the 
Chicago,  Alton  and  St.  Louis  Railroad  Company,  President  of  the 
Cumberland  Coal  and  Iron  Company,  President  of  the  Burns  Club, 
&c.     8  John.     9  Robert  Howe,  of  London. 

HOLMES,  Uriel,  Jr.,  a  native  of  Hartland,  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1784,  and  settled  in  Litchfield  as  a  lawyer  a  few  years 
subsequently.  He  was  elected  a  Representative  nine  times,  was  a 
Judge  of  the  Litchfield  County  Court  from  1814  to  1817,  and  during 
the  latter  year  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  Congress.  While  residing 
in  Litchfield,  he  was  thrown  from  his  carriage  in  Canton,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died,  May  18,  1827,  aged  62.  Judge  Holmes 
married  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Aaron  Austin,  and  had  three  children, 
viz,  1  Henry,  M.  D.,  a  distinguished  physician  in  Hartford.  2  Uriel, 
who  died  July  4,  1818,  while  a  member  of  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Andover.     3  Caroline,  died  young. 

HUNTINGTON,  Charles  P.,  (son  of  the  Rev.  Dan  Huntington,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  March  24th.  1802;  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1822  ;  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  Northampton,  Mass.,  and 
represented  that  town  in  the  Legislature  in  1834,  1S37,  1843,  1852 
and  1855 — and  at  the  last  session  named,  was  chairman  of  the  Ju- 
diciary Committee.  In  1855,  he  was  appointed  Judge  of  the  Supe- 
rior Court  for  the  Suffolk  District,  which  embraces  the  city  of  Boston. 
Judge  Huntington  now  lives  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston. 

HUNTINGTON,  Jabez  W.,  a  native  of  Norwich,  graduated  at 
Yale  College  in  1806  ;  came  to  Litchfield  as  a  teacher,  and  student 
at  law,  in  1807,  and  continued  to  reside  here  until  October  1834, 
when  he  returned  to  Norwich — and  died  there  in  1847,  in  his  60th 
year.  While  a  resident  of  Litchfield,  he  was  elected  a  Representa- 
tive, member  of  Congress,  and  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court.  From 
1840  until  his  death  he  was  a  member  of  the  U.  S.  Senate. 

KILBOURN,  Colonel  Charles,  (son  of  Mr.  David  Kilbourn,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  March  3,  1758  ;  fled  to  Canada  in  the  revo- 
lution, and  finally  settled  near  Lake  Memphrcmagog,  in  Stanstead, 
L.  C,  where  he  erected  mills  of  various  kinds.  The  locality  still 
bears  the  name  of  Kilbourn' s  Mills  on  many  English  and  American 
maps.  In  the  war  of  1812,  he  commanded  a  corps  of  provincial  troops 
known  as  the  Frontier  Light  Infantry.  He  was  also  for  many  years 
a  magistrate,  and  Justice  of  the  Commissionrrs  Court.  Colonel  Kil- 
bourn died  in  Stanstead,  June  19,  1834,  aged  76. 


DIOGRAPHY.  195 

KIRBY,  Ephraim,  (son  of  Mr.  Abraham  Kirby,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  February  22,  1757  ;  studied  law  and  settled  in  his  native 
town.  lie  was  often  chosen  a  Representative  ;  appointed  Supervisor 
of  the  National  Revenue  for  the  State  of  Connecticut  in  1801,  and 
U.  S.  Judge  for  the  Territory  of  Louisiana  in  1804.  ', While  on  his 
way  to  New  Orleans,  whither  the  duties  of  his  oflice  called  him,  he 
died  at  Fort  Stoddard,  Mississippi  Territory,  October  2d,  1804,  aged 
47.  Col.  Kirby  married  Ruth,  daughter  of  Reynold  Marvin,  Esq., 
and  left  eight  children. 

KIRBY,  Reynold  M.,  Major  U.  S.  A.,  (son  of  the  preceding,)  was 
born  in  Litchfield,  March  13,  1790.  For  many  years  before  his 
death,  he  was  Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  the  Army. 

KIRBY,  Edmund,  Colonel  U.  S.  A.,  (brother  of  the  preceding,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  April  8,  1794 ;  entered  the  army  as  a  Lieu- 
tenant in  1812  ;  appointed  aid-de-camp  to  his  father-in-law,  Major 
General  Brown  ;  served  in  the  Blackhawk,  Creek  and  Seminole  wars  ; 
was  chief  of  the  Pay  Department,  and  aid-de-camp  to  the  command- 
er-in-chief, during  the  late  war  with  Mexico.  He  died  at  Avon 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  August  20,  1849,  aged  55.  On  the  election  of  Pres- 
ident Taylor,  Colonel  Kirby  was  frequently  referred  to  in  the  public 
prints  as  a  probable  member  of  the  new  Cabinet. 

MORRIS,  James,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  January  19,  1752, 
and  graduated  at  Yale  College  ;  was  a  Captain  in  the  Revolution,  and 
with  his  company  headed  one  of  the  columns  that  led  the  forlorn 
hope  at  the  Siege  of  Yorktown.  After  the  war,  he  settled  in  his  na- 
tive parish,  South  Farms,  and  was  for  many  years  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  Representative  ;  and  was  also  the  Founder  and  Principal 
of  Morris  Academy — an  institution  which  became  famous  throughout 
the  country.     Captain  Morris  died  in  this  town,  September  9,  1814.  ■ 

OSBORN,  Rev.  Ethan,  (son  of  Captain  John  Osborn,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  August  21,  1758  ;  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College 
in  1784;  and  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  congregational  church  in 
Fairfield,  N.  J.,  in  1789.  In  this  small  rural  parish,  Mr.  Osborn 
married  706  couple,  attended  the  funerals  of  1500  persons,  admitted 
to  his  church  about  600  members,  baptized  1146  persons,  and  preach- 
ed 10,164  sermons.  His  last  sermon  was  preached  in  1855,  when  in 
his  97th  year.  On  Sunday,  January  24,  1858,  he  attended  service, 
addressed  the  audience  in  an  appropriate  manner,  and  made  the 
concluding  prayer — he  then  being  99  years  and  5  months  old.  He 
died  in  Fairfield,  May  1,  1858,  in  his  100th  year.  He  was  pastor  of 
the  church  in  that  place  54  years. 

PECK,  John  M.,  D.  Z>.,  (son  of  Mr.  Asa  Peck,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, October  31,  1789,  and  became  a  celebrated  Baptist  preacher  in 
Illinois.  He'was  a  diligent  student,  and  wrote  and  published  much 
— especially  in  relation  to  the  history  of  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 
The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Har- 
vard College  in  1853.  Dr.  Peck  was  an  eloquent  pulpit  orutor,  and 
one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  Illinois — so  much  so  that  the  whig 
party  of  that  State  once  nominated  him  as  their  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor.    He  died  at  his  residence  in  Rock  Spring,  111.,  in  1858. 


19G  BISTORT    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

PECK,  William  V.,  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  one  of  the  present  Judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State,  was  born  of  Litchfield  parents  in 
Cayuga  county,  New  York,  where  Ins  father,  (Mr.  Virgil  Peek,) 
died  during  his  infancy.  When  the  subject  of  this  paragraph  was 
three  years  old,  his  mother  returned  with  him  to  this  town,  and  sub- 
sequently married  Dr.  Abel  Catlin,  in  whose  family  he  was  brought 
up.  After  spending  about  twenty  years  in  this  village,  he  settled  as 
a  lawyer  in  Ohio. 

PECK,  Professor  William  G.,  (son  of  Mr.  Alfred  Peek,)  was  born 
in  Litchfield,  October  10,  1820  ;  graduated  at  West  Point,  where  he 
was  for  a  few  years  Assistant  Professor  of  Mathematics.  As  Lieu- 
tenant of  Topographical  Engineers  in  the  U.  S.  Army,  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  Colonel  Fremont  in  his  celebrated  Exploring  Expeditions, 
lie  has  since  been  a  Professor  in  the  University  of  Michigan  ;  and  is 
now  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  Columbia  College,  New  York.  Ho 
married  Elizabeth  M.,  daughter  of  Professor  Charles  Davies,  LL.  D. 

PHELPS,  Samuel  Shether,  (son  of  Captain  John  Phelps,)  was 
born  on  Chestnut  Hill,  in  the  house  now  owned  and  Occupied  by  Mr. 
Willis  Law,  May  13,  1793  ;  graduated  at  Yale  College  and  the  Litch- 
field Law  School,  and  settled  in  Middlebury,  Vermont.  Having  been 
successively  a  Paymaster  in  the  war  of  1812,  aid-de-camp  to  Governor 
Galusha,  Colonel,  member  of  the  Council  of  Sensors,  member  of  the 
Legislative  Council,  and  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  he  was  elected 
a  Senator  in  Congress  in  1838 — an  office  which  held  for  12  years. 
As  a  lawyer  and  statesman,  he  ranked  with  Clay,  Webster,  Critten- 
den and  Clayton.     Judge  Phelps  died  in  1857. 

PIERCE,  Colonel  John,  (son  of  Mr.  John  Pierce,  of  Litchfield,) 
.early  entered  the  public  service,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  Paymaster 
General  in  the  Army,  and  was  a  Commissioner  for  settling  the  ac- 
counts of  the  army.  Though  his  parents  never  resided  out  of  Litch- 
field after  their  marriage,  Colonel  Pierce  is  said  to  have  been  born 
at  the  house  of  his  maternal  grandfather,  Major  John  Patterson,  in 
Farmington.  Colonel  P.  died  in  New  York,  August  0,1788.  He 
was  a  brother  of  the  late  Miss  Sarah  Pierce,  Founder  and  Principal 
of  the  Litchfield  Female  Academy. 

PIERPONT,  John,  (son  of  Mr:  James  Pierpont,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  April  0,  1785  ;  graduated  at  Yale  College  and  at  the 
Litchfield  Law  School,  and  settled  in  Newburyport,  Massachusetts, 
as  a  lawyer.  Abandoning  the  legal  profession,  he  entered  the  ministry 
of  the  Unitarian  denomination,  and  was  for  many  years  pastor  of 
the  Hollis-street  church,  Boston.  He  is  alike  distinguished  as  a  poet, 
preacher,  and  lecturer.  Several  editions  of  his  Airs  of  Palestine,  as 
Avell  as  of  his  other  poems,  have  been  published.  Mr.  Pierpont  now 
resides  in  Medford,  Mass. 

PIERPONT,  Robert,  (son  of  Mr.  David  Pierpont,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  May  4, 1791 ;  studied  law,  and  settled  in  Rutland,  Ver- 
mont, his  present  residence.  He  has  been  Lieutenant  Governor  of 
that  State,  and  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court. 


BIOGRAPHY.  1«)7 

PIERPONT,  John,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, September  10, 1805  ;  graduated  at  the  Law  School  in  this  town, 
and  settled  in  Vergennes,  Vermont.  He  is  now  a  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  that  State,  and  has  held  various  other  offices. 

SEDGWICK,  Albert,  -was  born  in  Cornwall  Hollow  in  the  year 
1802;  removed  to  Litchfield  in  1830,  and  continued  to  reside  here 
for  the  succeeding  25  years.  Tn  1834,  he  was  appointed  High  Sher- 
iff of  this  county,  an  office  which  he  continued  to  hold  (with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  term  of  three  years,)  until  185-1 — when  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Legislature  Commissioner  of  the  School  Fund  of  Con- 
necticut:    In  1855,  he  removed  to  Hartford,  his  present  residence. 

SEYMOUR,  Horatio,  LL.  I).,  (son  of  Major  Moses  Seymour,) 
was  born  in  Litchfield,  May  31st,  1778  ;  graduated  at  Yale  College 
and  at  the  Litchfield  Law  School;  and  settled  in  Middlebury,  Yt., 
where  he  died  a  year  or  two  since.  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Slate 
Council  from  180'J  to  181G  ;  and  of  the  United  States  Senate  from 
1821  to  1833.  Tn  1834,  he  was  the  Whig  candidate  for  Governor 
of  Vermont,  but  the  anti-masonic  candidate  was  elected.  He  was 
also  for  a  few  years  Judge  of  Probate.  Judge  Seymour  received  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  his  alma  mater  in  1847. 

SEYMOUR,  Henry,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, May  30,  1780  ;  settled  as  a  merchant  at  Pompey,  Onondaga 
county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  became  wealthy.  Removing  to  Utica,  he 
died  there,  August  2fi,  1837.  He  was  a  Representative,  Senator, 
Canal  Commissioner,  Mayor  of  Utica,  and  President  of  the  Farmers' 
Loan  and  Trust  Company.  The  lion.  Horatio  Seymour,  LL.  D., 
late  Governor  of  New  York,  is  his  son. 

SEYMOUR,  Origen  Storrs,  (son  of  Ozias  Seymour,  Esq.,  and 
grandson  of  Major  Seymour,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Feb.  9,  1801 ; 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1824;  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  his  na- 
tive town.  He  has  been  a  Representative,  Speaker  of  the  House, 
and  member  of  Congress,  and  is  now  a  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court. 

SHELDON,  Daniel,  Jr.,  (son  of  Dr.  Daniel  Sheldon,)  was  born  in 
the  adjoining  town  of  Washington  in  1780,  and  during  the  following 
year  his  parents  removed  to  Litchfield;  and  here  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  continued  to  reside  until  he  entered  public  life.  Graduating  at 
the  Litchfield  Law  School  in  1799,  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the 
Treasury  Department,  and  retained  it  until  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Gallatin  as  Ambassador  to  France,  when  he  was  nominated  and  con- 
firmed as  Secretary  of  Legation  to  that  country.  When  the  Ambas- 
sador was  re-called,  Mr.  Sheldon  remained  in  France  as  Charge  d' 
Affaires  until  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Gallatin's  successor.  He  died  in 
Marseilles,  April  14,  1828,  aged  48.  His  funeral  was  attended  by 
all  the  foreign  ministers  and  consuls  present  in  the  city,  and  the  flags 
of  all  the  American  ships  in  port  were  placed  at  half-mast. 

SKINNER,  Roger,  (son  of  Gen.  Timothy  Skinner,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  June  10,  1773;  became  a  lawyer,  and  removed  from  this 


HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD.  108 

town  to  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.,  in  1806,  where  he  was  elected  a  Repesen- 
tative  in  1810,  1811  and  1812,  and  a  Senator  from  1818  to  1821. 
In  1880,  he  w;is  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Appointment;  from 
LSI 5  to  1819,  U.  S.  Attorney  for  the  Northern  District  of  New  York  ; 
and  from  1819  until  his  death,  Judge  of  the  U.  S.  District  Court. 
On  being  appointed  Judge,  he  became  a  resident  of  Albany,  at  which 
place  he  died  August  19,  1825.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the 
lion.  Martin  Van  Buren,  who,  in  a  recent  letter  to  the  author,  says — 
"  Being  a  widower  myself,  and  he  a  bachelor,  we  twice  kept  house 
together,  and  did  so  at  the  period  of  his  lamented  death.  I  was  with 
him  through  his  last  illness,  held  his  hand  when  he  died,  and  mourned 
for  him  as  for  a  sincere  and  affectionate  friend."  The  visit  of  Mr. 
Van  Buren  to  this  town,  with  Mr.  S.,  about  1820,  is  well  remembered. 

SKINNER,  Richard,  LL.  D.,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was 
born  in  Litchfield,  May  30,  1778  ;  graduated  at  the  Law  School  in 
his  native  town,  and  settled  in  Manchester,  Vermont  in  1800,  He 
'became  State's  Attorney,  Speaker  of  the  House,  Judge  of  Probate, 
member  of  Congress,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  and  Governor.  He 
received  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  from  Middlebury  college.  Governor 
Skinner  died  in  Middlebury,  May  23,  1833,  aged  55. 

TALLMADGE,  Frederick  A.,  (son  of  Colonel  Benjamin  Tall- 
madge,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  August  29,  1792  ;  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1811  ;  and  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  New  York  city — his 
present  residence.  From  1834  to  1836  he  was  an  Alderman;  from 
1836  to  1840,  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  of  which  body  he  was 
elected  President;  from  1840  to  1845,  and  from  1848  to  1853,  he 
was  Recorder  of  the  City,  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  Police  Court ; 
and  from  1846  to  1848,  he  was  a  member  of  Congress.  For  two  or 
three  years  past,  Mr.  Tallmadge  has  held  the  office  of  Superinten- 
dent of  Police  in  New  York — a  very  important  and  responsible  post. 

TRACY,  General  Uriah,  a  native  of  Norwich  and  a  graduate  of 
Yale  College,  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  Litchfield  in  1780,  and  here  spent 
his  entire  professional  life.  He  was  a  Representative  at  nine  ses- 
sions, member  of  Congress  three  years,  and  U.  S.  Senator  eleven 
years ;  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  Major  General  of  militia.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  men  of  his  day.  General  Tracy  died  in  Wash- 
ington city  in  1807,  and  was  the  first  person  buried  in  the  congress- 
ional cemetery. 

WELCH,  John,  (son  of  Major  David  Welch,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, September  23,  1759 ;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1778 ;  set- 
tled as  a  merchant  in  his  native  town,  [and  continued  to  reside  here 
until  his  death,  which  took  place  December  26,  1845.  He  was  suc- 
cessively a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Representative,  Senator,  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention,  Associate  Judge  of  the  County  Court, 
and  a  candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  successful  in  business,  and 
left  a  large  estate. 


BIOGRAPHY.  '  ]{)<) 

WOLCOTT,  Oliver,  Jr.,  LL.  I).,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  January 
11,  17G0  ;  and  died  in  New  York,  June  2,  1833.  He  graduated  at 
Yale  College,  and  was  successively  Comptroller  of  this  State,  Auditor 
and  Secretary  of  the  United  States  Treasury,  Judge  of  the  United 
States  Circuit  Court,  President' of  the  Bank  of  America,  President  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  of  ,Conneeticut,  and  Governor  of  his 
native  State  from  1817  to  1827.  He  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
statesmen  of  the  early  days  of  the  republic  — the  intimate  friend  and 
adviser  of '"Washington,  Adams  and  Hamilton ;  and,  for  some  time 
previous  to  his  decease,  he  was  the  last  surviving  member  of  Wash- 
ington's Cabinet. 

WOLCOTT,  Frederick,  (brother  of  the  preceding.)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  November  2,  1767;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1787, 
and  died  in  his  native  town  May  28,  1837.  For  more  than  forty 
years  he  was  constantly  in  public  life — as  Clerk  of  the  Courts,  Judge 
of  Probate,  Representative,  member  of  the  State  Council,  Senator, 
&c.  No  man  ever  lived  in  the  town  who  enjoyed  more  implicitly 
the  confidence  of  the  public.  There  was  a  dignity  and  nobleness  in 
his  person  and  manner  which  left  their  impress  on  all  who  camo 
within  the  sphere  of  his  influence. 

WOODRUFF,  General  Morris,  (son  of  Mr.  James  Woodruff,)  was 
born  in  Litchfield,  September  3,  1777;  educated  at  Morris  Academy, 
and  was  bred  a  merchant.  He  commenced  his  mercantile  life  with 
Messrs.  David  Leavitt  and  Simeon  Harrison  ;  and  after  his  con- 
nection with  them  was  dissolved,  he  prosecuted  the  business  chiefly 
on  his  own  account  for  many  years.  He  was  through  life  much  em- 
ployed as  Executor,  Administrator,  and  Commissioner,  in  settling 
estates,  and  as  Arbitrator,  Auditor  and  Committee  appointed  by  the 
Courts.  He  was  an  active  and  influential  member  of  the  church  and 
ecclesiastical  society,  and  of  the  community  generally  to  which  he  be- 
longed; repeatedly  discharged  the  duties  of  various  public  offices; 
represented  the  town  of  Litchfield  in  the  Legislature  fourteen  sessions, 
and  was  a  magistrate  of  the  county  twenty-six  years.  In  1818,  he 
was  appointed  Brigadier  General  of  the  Sixth  Brigade  ;  and  in  1824, 
the  Legislature  appointed  him  Major  General  of  the  Third  Division. 
From  1829-  until  his  death — a  period  of  eleven  years — he  held  the 
office  of  a  Judge  of  the  Couny  Court,  and  that  of  Commissioner  which 
succeeded  it ;  and  in  November,  1832,  he  was  chosen  by  the  voters 
of  the  State  at  large,  an  Elector  of  President  and  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States.  In  all  the  affairs  of  life,  General  AVoodrurt'  was 
distinguished  by  great  activity,  energy,  perseverance,  accuracy  and 
fidelity  to  whatever  trust  he  assumed.  Of  high  integrity  himself,  he 
was  stern  in  requiring  from  others  observance  of  its  dictates.  Ready 
to  do  justice  to  others  ;  keenly  alive  to  every  sense  of  wrong ;  pene- 
trating in  his  scrutiny  into  the  conduct  and  motives  of  others;  con- 
vincing rather  than  persuasive  in  his  intercourse  with  men,  he  impelled 
their  concurrence  in  his  views  by  producing  confidence  in  the  sound- 
ness of  his  judgment  and  the  correctness  of  his  purposes,     lie  was 


200  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

steadfast  in  In*  friendships,  ami  few  men  retain  with  equal  warmth 

the  intimacies  begun  in  early  years.  The  associates  of  his  boyhood 
were  through  life  his  most  confiding  and  devoted  friends.  The  de- 
pendanee  of  his  neighbors  and  friends  on  him  for  advice  and  assistance 
was  very  great,  their  confidence  was  never  abused,  their  reliance  nev- 
er failed  ;  and  so  his  means  of  usefulness  among  them  were  large,  and 
his  influence  extensive.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  was  affectionate 
and  kind — inflexible  in  retaining  a  high  standard  of  both  filial  and 
parental  duty — and  never  failed  to  show  that  the  highest  good  of 
those  who  were  dependent  upon  him,  was  his  invariable  motive  in  all 
his  intercourse  with  them.  General  Woodruff  was  nearly  six  feet  in 
height,  stout,  erect,  active,  and  of  more  than  ordinary  physical 
strength.  Of  robust  and  vigorous  frame  and  sound  constitution,  his 
health  was  rarely  interrupted,  and  promise  of  a  green  old  age 
seemed  singularly  certain.  But  in  the  spring  of  1839,  his  system 
received  a  shock  followed  by  an  affection  of  the  liver,  under  which  he 
declined,  and  on  the  17th  of  May,  184.0,  he  died — illustrating  in  his 
dying  hour  the  peace  and  consolation  of  the  Christian's  hope  and  con- 
fidence in  the  Saviour  in  whose  church  on  earth  he  had  been  num- 
bered for  many  years.  His  remains  are  interred  in  our  East  Bury- 
ing-Ground,  where  a  handsome  monument  has  been  erected  to  his 
memory.  General  Woodruff  married  Candace,  eldest  daughter  of 
Lewis  Catlin,  Esq.,  of  Harwinton.  Their  children  were — 1  George 
C,  who  still  resides  in  Litchfield,  and  is  well  known  to  our  readers 
as  a  prominent  member  of  the  Bar  of  Litchfield  county.  2.  Lucy 
M.,  m.  Hon.  O.  S.  Seymour,  of  Litchfield.  3  Lewis  B.,  Judge  of  the 
Superior  Court  for  the  city  of  New  York.  4.  Reuben  M.,  M.  D.,  a 
physician  of  high  attainments,  died  young  in  1849.  5  James,  died  in 
infancy. 

WOODRUFF,  Clark,  (brother  of  the  preceding,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  August  23,  1791,  and  was  educated  at  Morris  Academy. 
In  1810,  he  left,  his  native  town,  and,  passing  down  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  he  soon  established  himself  as  a  lawyer  in  St. 
Francis ville,  in  the  present  State  of  Louisiana.  For  many,  years  he 
was  reputed  one  of  the  ablest,  most  eloquent  and  successful  advocates 
at  the  bar ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1828,  he  was  appointed  Judge 
of  the  Eighth  Judicial  District  of  the  State  of  Louisiana.  He  also 
held  the  oilVoe  of  State  Auditor,  and  Commissioner  charged  with  the 
subject  of  Public  Improvements  in  that  State,  in  which  he  took  an 
active  interest.  He  was  also  a  Trustee  af  Louisiana  College.  On 
resigning  his  judgeship,  he  removed  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  resi- 
ded until  a  short  time  previous  to  his  death.  He  departed  this  life 
at  his  country  scat  at  Carrollton,  on  the  Mississippi,  about  six  miles 
above  that  city,  on  the  25th  of  November,  1851.  Judge  Woodruff 
was  a  polished,  courtly  gentleman,  of  line  address,  pleasing  manners, 
and  cultivated  mind.  He  married  Matilda  Bradford,  of  St.  Francis* 
ville,  a  highly  accomplished  lady,  by  whom  he  had  three  children. 
The  only  survivor,  Mrs.  Octavia  BesanQon,  now  lives  at  Carrollton 
at  the  late  residence  of  her  father. 


APPENDIX. 


Colonial  ano  State  (Officers  *rf  Connecticut. 

[Complete,  from  1635  to  1S39.] 

Allyn,  John,   Secretary  of  State 

Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  Governor 

Backus,  Thomas,  Lieut.  Governor 

Baldwin,  Roger  S.,  Governor 

Baldwin,  Edward  Law,  Executive  Secretary,   1844 

Barnard,  Henry,  Supt.  Common  Schools, 

Beardslee,  Cyrus  H.,  Executive  Secretary 

Beers,  Seth  P.,*  School  Fund  Commissioner 

Beers,  Seth  P.,*  Supt.  Common  Schools 

Betts,  Thaddeus,  Lieutenant  Governor 

Birge,  Alonzo  W.,  Treasurer 

Bissell,  Clark,  Governor 

Bissell,  George  A.,  Plxecutive  Secretary 

Billings,  Noyes,  Lieut.  Governor 

Bishop,  James,  Deputy  Governor 

Booth,  Reuben,f  Lieut.  Governor 

Boyd,  John,*  Secretary  of  State 

BroAvn,  Jeremiah,  Treasurer 

Bradley,  Charles  W.,  Secretary  of  State 

Buckingham,  "William  A.,   Governor 

Buell,  William  II.,  Comptroller 

Burnliam,  Alfred  A.,  Lieut.  Governor 

Burr,  Peter,  Deputy  Governor 

Calef,  Arthur,  Treasurer 

Camp,  Daniel  W.,  Treasurer 

Camp,  David  N.,  Supt.  Common  Schools 

CaiTington,  Abijah,  Comptroller 

Catlin,  Abijah,*  Comptroller 

Catlin,  Abijah,*  School  Fund  Commissioner 

Catlin,  George  S..t  Executive  Secretary 

Catlin,  Julius,!  Lieutenant  Governor 

Clarke,  Daniel,  Secretary  of  State 

Clarke,  Thomas,  Treasurer 


■t  chosdn. 

X".  years. 

1664 

31 

1087 

2 

1849 

1 

1844 

2 

1844 

2 

1849 

5 

1827 

) 

1825 

24 

1845 

4 

1834 

I 

184G 

1 

1817 

2 

1847 

2 

184G 

1 

1683 

< 

1844 

2 

1858 

2 

1835 

3 

1846 

1 

1858 

2 

1858 

2 

1857 

I 

172:; 

•> 

1855 

1 

1 85  1 

1 

1857 

2 

1841 

■  > 

1847 

.j 

1851 

1 

1831 

2 

1858 

2 

s 

1851 

1 

202  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Cleveland,  Chauncey  F.,  Governor  1842  2 

Cleveland,  Mason,  Comptroller  1816 

Cleveland,  Mason,  Seh.  Fund  Commissioner  1854 

Coe,  Frederick  P.,  Treasurer  1856  1 

Colt,  Elislia,  Comptroller  1806  13 

Colt,  Peter,  Treasurer  1789  5 

Culliek,  John,  Secretary  of  State  1648  10 

Day,  Albert,  Lieutenant  Governor  1856  1 

Day,  Thomas,*  Secretary  of  State,  1810  25 

Dunham,  John,  Comptroller  1854  1 

Dutton,  Henry,t  Governor  1854  1 

Edwards,  Henry  W.,  Governor  1 833  4 

Ellsworth,  William  Wolcott,  Governor  1838  4 

Ellsworth,  Pinckney  W.,  Executive  Secretary  1838  4 

Erving,  R.  Augustus,  Executive  Secretary  1850  3 

Field,  William,  Comptroller  1836  2 

Field,  William,  Lieut.  Governor  1855  1 

Fitch,  Thomas,  Deputy  Govornor  1750  4 

Fitch,  Thomas,  Governor  1754  12 

Foote,  Samuel  A.,  Governor  1834  1 

Foote,  Joseph  F.,  Executive  Secretary  1854  2 

Gilbert,  Joseph  B.,  Treasurer  1844  4 

Gold,  Nathan,  Deputy  Governor  1708  16 

Goodrich.  Chauncey,  Lieut.  Governor  1813  2 

Graves,  Henry  B.,*  Executive  Secretary  1854  1 

Griswold,  Matthew,  Lieut.  Governor  1769  13 

Griswokl,  Matthew,  Governor  1784  2 

Griswold,  Roger,  Lieut.  Governor  1809  2 

Griswold,  Roger,  Governor  1811  1 

Hawley,  Charles,  Lieut.  Governor  1838  4 

Haynes,  John,  Deputy  Governor  1640  5 

Haynes,  John,  Governor  1G39  8 

llillhouse,  James,  School  Fund  Commissioner  1810  15 

Hitchcock,  William  R.,  Executive  Secretary  1834  1 

Hinman,  Royal  R.,*  Secretary  of  State  1835  7 

Hoadly,  Charles  J.,  State  Librarian  1856  3 

Holabird,  William  S..*  Lieut.  Governor  1842 

Holley,  Alexander  IL,*  Lieut.  Governor  1854  1 

Holley,  Alexander  II.,*  Governor  1857  1 

Hopkins,  Edward,  Secretary  of  State  1 639  1 

Hopkins,  Edward,  Deputy  Governor  1643  6 

Hopkins,  Edward,  Governor  1610  7 

Hovey,  James  A.,  Executive  Secretary  1812 

Huntington,  Jabez  W,.*  Executive  Secretary     1820  7 

Huntington,  Jedediah,  Treasurer  1789  1 

Huntington,  Samuel,  Lieut.  Governor  L784  2 

Huntington,  Samuel,  Governor  17SG  10 

Huntington,  Roger,  Comptroller  1834  1 

lngersoll,  Jonathan,  Lieut.  Governor  181 G  7 


COLONIAL    AND    STATE    OFFICERS.  '203 

Jones,  William,  Deputy  Governor  1092  5 

Kendrick,  Green,  Lieut.  Governor  1851  I 

Kilbourn,  Henry,  Comptroller  1838  4 

Kilboura,  P.  K.,*  Executive  Secretary  1857  1 

Kimberly.  Eleazer,  Secretary  of  State  1096  13 

Kingsbury,  Andrew,  Comptroller  lT'.'l  3 

Kingsbury,  Andrew,  Treasurer  1794  24 

Lamb,  Joseph  G.,  Comptroller  1857  1 

Law,  Jonathan,  Deputy  Governor  17'-'  1  17 

Law,  Jonathan,  Governor  1~41  9 

Lawrence,  John,  Treasurer              .  1769  19 

Leet,  William,  Deputy  Governor  1669  7 

Leet,  William,  Governor  167G  7 

Ludlow,  Roger,  Deputy  Governor  \  639  3 

McCurdy,  Charles  J.,  Lieut.  Governor  LS  17  '_' 

Mason,  John,  Deputy  Governor  1660  9 

Mather,  John  P.  C,  Secretary  of  State  1850  3 

Merrill,  Alexander,  Comptroller  1855  1 

Mills,  Roger  H.,  Secretary  of  State  1849  1 

Minor,  William  T.,  Governor  1855  2 

Mix,  Silas,  Executive  Secretary  1833  4 

Palmer,  John  C.,  School  Fund  Commissioner  1850  2 

Pardee,  Dwight  W.,  Executive  Secretary  1846  1 

Perry,  Oliver  H.,  Secretary  of  State  1854  1 

Peters,  John  S.,  Lieut.  Governor  1827  4 

Peters,  John  S.,  Governor  1831  2 

Phelps,  Elisha,  Comptroller  1830  4 

Phelps,  Noah  A.,  Secretary  of  State  1842  2 

Philbrick,  John  D.,  Supt  Common  Schools         1855  2 

Pinney,  Rufus  G.,  Comptroller  1850  3 

Pitkin,  William,  Treasurer  1678  1 

Pitkin,  William,  Deputy  Governor  1754  12 

Pitkin,  William,  Governor  1766  3 

Plant,  David,  Lieutenant  Governor  1823 

Piatt,  Orville  H.,t  Secretary  of  State  1857  1 

Pomeroy,  Ralph,  Comptroller  1789  2 

Pond,  Charles  H.,  Lieut.  Governor  1850  3 

Pond,  Charles  II.,  Governor  1853  1 

Porter,  John,  Comptroller  1794  12 

Prentis,  Edward,  Treasurer  1856 

Rider,  Hiram,  Treasurer  1838 

Robertson,  John  B.,  Secretary  of  State  1847  2 

Robinson,  L.  F.,  Executive  Secretary  1S\0 

Saltonstall,  Gurdon,  Governor  1707  17 

Sedgwick,  Albert,*  School  Fund  Commiss'r      1854  5 

Seymour,  Thomas  H.,  Governor  1850  3 

Smith,  Henry  D.,  Treasurer  1850  1 

Smith,  John  Cotton,*  Lieut.  Governor  1811  2 

Smith,  John  Cotton,*  Governor  1813  4 


HO-f  HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

Spencer,  Isaac,  Treasurer 

Sperry,  Nehemiah  D.,  Secretary  of  State 

Stanley,  Caleb,  Secretary  of  State 

Stanley,  Nathaniel,  Treasurer 

Stoddard,  Ebenezer,  Lieut.  Governor 

Steam-,  Edwin,  Treasurer 

Talcott,  John,  Treasurer 

Talcott,  John,  (Jr.)  Treasurer 

Talcott,  Joseph,  Deputy  Governor 

Talcott,  Joseph,  Governor 

Talcott,  Joseph,  Treasurer 

Thomas,  James,  Comptroller 

Tornlinson,  Gideon,  Governor 

Toucey,  Isaac,  Governor 

Treadwell,  John,  Lieut.  Governor 

Treadwell,  John,  Governor, 

Treat,  Robert,  Deputy  Governor 

Treat,  Robert,  Governor 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  Deputy  Governor 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  Governor 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  (Jr,)  Lieut.  Governor 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  (Jr,)  Governor 

Trumbull,  Gurdon,  Sch.  Fund  Commissioner 

Trumbull,  Joseph,  Governor 

Trumbull,  J.  Hammond,  State  Librarian 

Tyler,  Daniel  P.,  Secretary  of  State 

Wadsworth,  James,  Comptroller 

Warner,  Samuel  L.,  Executive  Secretary 

"Waldo,  Loren  P.,  Sch.  Fund  Commissioner 

Webster,  John,  Deputy  Governor 

Webster,  John,  Governor 

Weed,  Hiram,  Secretary  of  State 

Welles,  Thomas,  Treasurer 

Welles,  Thomas,  Secretary  of  State 

Welles,  Thomas,  Deputy  Governor 

Welles,  Thomas,  Governor 

Welles,  Gideon,  Comptroller 

White,  Jabez  L.,  Treasurer 

Whiting,  William,  Treasurer 

Whiting,  Joseph,        do. 

Whiting,  John,  do. 

Wildman,  Frederick  S.,  Treasurer 

Winthrop,  John,  Deputy  Governor 

Winthrop,  John,  Governor 

Winthrop,  Fitz  John,  Governor 

Wolcott,  Roger,  Deputy  Governor 

Wolcott,  Roger,  Governor 

Wolcott,  Oliver,*  Lieut.  Governor 


1818 

16 

1855 

2 

1709 

3 

1749 

6 

1833 

4 

1852 

2 

1652 

7 

1659 

19 

1721 

— 

1724 

17 

1755 

14 

1819 

11 

1827 

4 

1846 

1 

1798 

11 

1809 

2 

1676 

17 

1683 

13 

1766 

o 

1769 

15 

1796 

2 

1798 

11 

1850 

1 

1849 

1 

1854 

2 

1844 

2 

1786 

2 

1853 

1 

1852 

1 

1655 

1 

1656 

1 

1850 

(died) 

1689 

5 

1640 

8 

1654 

4 

1655 

2 

1835 

3 

1842 

2 

1641 

7 

1679 

3 

1718 

21 

1857 

1 

1658 

1 

1657 

9 

1698 

9 

1741 

9 

1750 

4 

1786 

10 

JUDGES  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT.  20  ) 

Wolcott,  Oliver,*  Governor 
Wolcott,  Oliver,  (Jr,)*  Comptroller 
Wolcott,  Oliver,  (Jr,)*  Governor 
Wyllys,  George,  Deputy  Governor 
Wyllys,  George,  Governor 
Wyllys,  Hezekiah,  Secretary  of  State 
Wyllys,  George,  do.  do. 

Wyllys,  Samuel,         do.  do, 

*  Ciioscn  from  Litchfield  co.  t  Natives  of 


1796 

2 

1788 

1 

1817 

10 

1G41 

1 

1642 

1 

1712 

23 

1735 

61 

1796 

14 

2  eo.  bat  residing 

Superior  (f  ourt  ;u\b  Supreme  Court  of  (mors. 
CHIEF  JUSTICES. 

[Previous  to  1784,  the  Deputy  Governors  were  the  Chief  Justices.] 

First  chosen.     No.  years. 
Samuel  Huntington,  Norwich 
Richard  Law,  New  London 
Eliphalet  Dyer,  Windham 
Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield 
Jesse  Root,  Coventry 
Stephen  Mix  Mitchell,  Wethersfield 
Tapping  Reeve,  Litchfield 
Zephaniah  Swift,  Windham 
Stephen  Titus  Hosmer,  Middletown 
David  Daggett,  New  Haven 
Thomas  S.  Williams,  Hartford 
Samuel  Church,  Litchfield 
Henry  M.  Waite,  Lyme 
William  L.  Storrs,  Hartford 


1784 

1 

1785 

4 

1789 

4 

1793 

5 

1798 

9 

1807 

7 

1814 

1 

1815 

4 

1819 

14 

1833 

1 

1834 

13 

1847 

7 

1854 

2 

1856 

in  office, 

ASSOCIATE  JUDGES. 

William  Pitkin,  Hartford 

Richard  Christophers,  New  London 

Peter  Burr,  Fairfield 

Samuel  Eells,  Milford 

John  Haynes,  Hartford 

Jonathan  Law,  Milford 

John  Hamlin,  Middletown 

Joseph  Talcott,  Hartford 

Matthew  Allyn,  Windsor 

John  Hooker,  Farmington 


First  chosen. 

Xo.  yean 

1711 

2 

1711 

21 

1711 

7 

1711 

29 

1713 

1 

1715 

9 

1716 

6 

1721 

1 

1723 

9 

1723 

9 

HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 

James  Wadsworth,  Durham 
Roger  Wolcott,  Windsor 
Joseph  Wliiting,  New  Haven 
Elisha  Williams,  Wethersfield 
William  Pitkin,  Hartford, 
Ebenezer  Silliman,  Fairfield 
John  Bulkley,  Colchester 
Samuel  Lynde,  Sayhrook 
Daniel  Edwards,  Hartford 
Roger  Wolcott,  Jr.  Windsor 
Jonathan  Trumbull,  Lebanon 
Joseph  Fowler,  Lebanon 
Benjamin  Hall,  Wallingford 
Robert  Walker,  Stratford 
Matthew  Griswold.  Lyme 
Eliphalet  Dyer,  Windham 
Roger  Sherman,  New  Haven 
William  Pitkin,  Hartford 
Wm.  Samuel  Johnson,  Stratford 
Samuel  Huntington,  Norwich 
Richard  Law,  New  London 
Oliver  Ellsworth,  Windsor 
Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield 
Jesse  Root,  Coventry 
Charles  Chauncey,  New  Haven 
Erastus  Wolcott,  East  Windsor 
Jonathan  Sturges,  Fairfield 
Benjamin  Huntington,  Norwich 
Ashur  Miller,  Middletown 
Stephen  Mix  Mitchell,  Middletown 
Jonathan  Ingersoll,  New  Haven 
Tapping  Reeve,  Litchfield 
Zephaniah  Swift,  Windham 
John  Trumbull,  Hartford 
William  Edmond,  Newtown 
Nathaniel  Smith,  Woodbury 
Jeremiah  G.  Brainard,  New  London 
Simeon  Baldwin,  New  Haven 
Roger  Griswold,  Lyme 
John  Cotton  Smith,  Sharon 
Calvin  Goddard,  Norwich 
Stephen  Titus  Hosmer,  Middletown 
James  Gould,  Litchfield 
John  T.  Peters,  Hartford 
Asa  Chapman,  New  Haven 
William  Bristol,  New  Haven 
James  Lanman,  Norwich 
David  Daggett,  New  Haven 
Thomas  S.  Williams,  Hartford 


1725 

27 

1732 

9 

1732 

13 

1740 

3 

1741 

13 

1743 

23 

1745 

8 

1752 

3 

1753 

10 

1754 

5 

1754 

(declined) 

1751 

6 

1759 

7 

1760 

12 

1765 

4 

1766 

23 

1766 

23 

1769 

20 

1772 

1 

1773 

11 

1784 

1 

1785 

4 

1789 

4 

1789 

9 

1789 

4 

1789 

3 

1792 

13 

1792 

6 

1793 

2 

1795 

12 

1798 

8 

1798 

16 

1801 

14 

1801 

18 

1805 

14 

1806 

13 

1806 

23 

1808 

12 

1807 

2 

1809 

2 

1815 

3 

1815 

3 

1816 

3 

1818 

16 

1818 

7 

1819 

7 

1826 

3 

1826 

7 

1829 

5 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  THE  SUPERIOR  COURT.  207 

Clark  Bissell,  Norwalk 
Sainuel  Church,  Litchfield 
Jabez  W.  Huntington,  Litchfield 
Henry  M.  Waite,  Lyme 
Roger  M.  Sherman,  Fairfield 
William  L.  Storrs,  Hartford 
Joel  Hinman,  New  Haven 
William  W.  Ellsworth,  Hartford 
David  C.  Sanford,  New  Milford 
Thomas  B.  Butler,  Norwalk 
Origen  S.  Seymour,  Litchfield 
John  D.  Park,  Norwich 
Loren  P.  Waldo,  Tolland 
Charles  J.  McCurdy,  Lyme 


1829 

10 

1833 

14 

1834 

G 

1834 

20 

1839 

3 

1840 

16 

1842 

in  office, 

1847 

» 

1854 

5' 

1855 

J> 

1855 

?> 

1855 

>J 

1855 

» 

1856 

» 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  THE  SUPERIOR  COURT. 


[Appointed  by  the  Court  for  the  term  of  two  years.  This  office  was  created  in  1 854  | 


Birdsey  Baldwin,  Cornwall. 
J.  H.  Beach,  Plymouth. 
Seth  P.  Beers,  Litchfield. 
Frederick  D.  Beeman,  Litchfield. 
Merritt  Bronson,  New  Hartford. 
Edward  Carrin'gton,  Colebrook. 
William  Cothren,  Woodbury. 
George  L.  Fields,  Watertown. 
Wait  Garrett,  New  Hartford, 
Joseph  I.  Gay  lord,  Goshen. 
Albert  N.  Hodge,  Roxbury. 
Carlos  Holcomb,  New  Hartford. 
John  H.  Hubbard,  Litchfield. 
P.  K.  Kilbourn,  Litchfield. 
Leister  Loomis,  Barkhamsted. 
Charles  P.  Lyman,  Barkhamsted. 
Stephen  D.  Mann,  New  Hartford. 
John  G.  Mitchell,  Salisbury. 
William  L.  Ransom,  Litchfield. 
John  G.  Reid,  Kent. 
Jhon  H.  Russell,  Salisbury. 
Henry  S.  Sanford,  New  Mrlford. 
Edward  W.  Seymour,  Litchfield. 
Nathaniel  Smith,  Woodbury. 
Oliver  A.  G.  Todd,  New  Milford. 
John  S.  Turrell,  New  Milford. 
George  Wheaton,  Cornwall. 
Walter  R.  Whittlesey,  Salisbury. 


208 


HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 


iustitts  of  the  \)mi  for  tljc  Countn  of  t itdjMr, 

RESIDING  IN  THE  TOWN  OF  LITCHFIELD. 


[Complete  Roll,  from  the  organization  of  the  County  to  the  present  time.    Uu- 
til  1851,  all  Justices  of  the  Fence  in  Connecticut  were  appointed  annually  by  the 

Legislature.     They  arc  now  elected  by  the  People  for  the  term  of  two  years.] 


First  chosen. 

1774  Andrew  Adams 
1796  John  Allen 
1828  Joseph  Adams 
1836  E.  S.  Abernethy 
1847  Charles  Adams 
1762  Isaac  Baldwin 
1781  Abraham  Bradley 
1803  Nathan  Bassett 
1810  Asa  Bacon 
1817  Seth  P.  Beers 
1817  Jonathan  Bucl 

1819  James  Birge 

1820  Isaiah  Bnnce 
1828  Joseph  Birge 

1835  Joseph  Birge,  Jr. 

1836  Samuel  P.  Bolles 

1839  William  Bassett 

1840  Ozias  B.  Bassett 
1840  Francis  Bacon 

1845  .Samuel  G.  Braman 

1846  Frederick  D.  Beeman 

1846  Samuei  Brooker,  Jr. 

1847  Frederick  Buel 
1847  Philip  S.  Beebe 
1850  Charles  O.  Belden 

1850  David  Benton 

1851  Chester  G.  Birge 
1851  Junius  Burgess 
1854  Charles  C.  Buel 
1850  William  Bissell 


First  chosen. 

1753  Timothy  Collins 
1812  Levi  Catlin 
1836  Dan  Catlin 
1838  Edward  Camp 

1838  Edward  Cowles 

1839  Ralph  G.  Camp 

1840  Cyrus  Catlin 
1846  Samuel  Church 

1846  Garner  Curtis 

1847  Phineas  W.  Camp 
1847  Walter  Coe 
1858  John  Catlin 
1798  Julius  Deming 
1842  Stephen  Deming 
1838  Samuel  H.  Dudley 
1858  Orson  Emons 
1849  Amos  Farnsworth 
1854  Henry  Frisbie 
1858  Royal  A.  Ford 
1818  Nathaniel  Goodwin 
1832  Leonard  Goodwin 
1838  Chester  C.  Goslec 
1838  Julius  Griswold 

1841  John  Garnsey 
1849  Albin  Guild 
1849  Henry  B.  Graves 
1851  Edward  Garnsey 
1856  George  Garnsey 
1752  Thomas  Harrison 
1808  Uriel  Holmes 


.JUSTICES    OF    THE    PEACE. 


209 


First  chosen. 

1808  Uriel  Holmes 

1817  Jabez  W.  Huntington 

1820  Ephraim  S.  Hall 

1820  Elihu  Harrison 

1828  Asa  Hopkins 

1835  William  Harrison 

1838  Edward  Hopkins 

1843  G.  H.  Hollister 

1845  Norman  Hall 
1S46  Alanson  Hall 
1852  John  II.  Hubbard 
1854  Levi  Heaton 
1854  George  A.  Hickox 
1830  Truman  Kilbourn 

1835  Putnam  Kilbourn 

1846  Homer  Kilbourn 
1858  P.  K.  Kilbourn 
1802  Seth  Landon 
1819  Ozias  Lewis 

1836  Abner  Landon 
1852  A.  S.  Lewis 
1788  James  Morris 
1S03  Roger  Marsh 

1809  Phineas  Miner 

1842  Augustus  Morey 

1846  Lemuel  O.  Meafoy 
1849  Samuel  A.  Merwin 
1854  Garry  H.  Minor 
1858  Jacob  Morse,  Jr. 

1843  Isaac  Newton 

1847  William  Norton 
1849  William  Newton 
1847  John  A.  Oviatt 
1804  Mark  Prindle 

1836  A.  J.  Pickett 

1837  Edward  Pierpont 

1838  James  M.  Pierpont 


First  chosen. 

1838  Manly  Peters 
1847  Leonard  Pierpont 

1849  Ithamar  Page 

1844  Frederick  W.  Plumb 
'  1846  Prentice  Parkhurst 
1851  Christopher  C.  Palmer 
1783  Tapping  Reeve 
1819  Stephen  Russell 
1858  William  L.  Ransom 
1754  Blisha  Sheldon 
1772  Reuben  Smith 
1779  Jedediah  Strong 
1797  Moses  Seymour 
1808  Aaron  Smith 
1808  Peter  Sherman 

1823  Enos  Stoddard 

1824  David  C.  Sanfbrd 

1826  Simeon  Sanford 
1829  Origen  S.  Seymour 
1840  Henry  Skilton 

1843  Win.  L.  Smedley 

1827  Truman  Smith 

1847  Daniel  B.  Stoddard 

1850  George  A.  Smith 
1856  Abraham  C.  Smith 
1856  Edward  W.  Seymour 
1858  Newton  Smith 

1792  Uriah  Tracy 

1807  Benjamin  Tallmadge 

1844  Stephen  Trowbridge 

1845  Uri  Taylor 

1848  Oliver  A.  G.  Todd 
1759  Jacob  Woodruff 
1768  David  Welch 

1793  John  Welch 
1800  Frederick  Wolcott 
1804  Roger  N.  Whittlesey 

27 


210                                      HISTORY  OF   LITCHFIELD. 

First  chosen.  First  chosen. 

1814  Morris  Woodruff  1340  Jason -Whiting 

1820  Hugh  P.  Welch  1845  James  B.  Woodruff 

1832  George  C.  Woodruff  1845  Douglas  Watson 

1837  Enoch  J.  Woodruff  1847  Isaac  B.  Woodruff 

1840  Charles  L.  Webb  '1850  Tomlinson  Wells 


Court  of  Orobatc. 

DISTRICT  OF  LITCHFIELD. 
JUDGES. 


[District  organized  in  1747.     Judges  appointed  annually  by  the  Legislature  nntil 
1851.     Since  elected  annually  by  the  People.] 


Appointed. 

No.  years. 

Ebenezer  Marsh,    of  Litchfield 

1747 

25 

Oliver  Wolcott                 " 

1772 

24 

Frederick  Wolcott           " 

1796 

41 

Elisha  8.  Abernethy        " 

1837 

1 

Phineas  Miner                  " 

1838 

2 

Ralph  G.  Camp                " 

1840 

2 

Elisha  S.  Abernethy        " 

1842 

2 

Ralph  G.  Camp                " 

1844 

2 

Elisha  S.  Abernethy        " 

1846 

1 

Charles  Adams                 " 

1847 

3 

Oliver  A.  G.  Todd           " 

1850 

1 

Henry  B.  Graves              " 

1851 

1 

Oliver  A.  G.  Todd           " 

1852 

1 

George  C.  Woodruff        " 

1853 

1 

Charles  Adams                 " 

1854 

3 

George  C.  Woodruff        " 

1857 

1 

Charles  Adams                 " 

1858 

in  office. 

CLERKS. 

Isaac  Baldwin,         Litchfield 

1747 

25 

Hosea  Hulbert                 " 

1772 

2 

Nath'l  Brown  Beckwith  " 

1774 

1 

Samuel  Lyman                " 

1775 

4 

Oliver  Wolcott,  Jr.          " 

1779 

2 

Thomas  Gold    '                " 

1781 

5 

COUNTY   COURT  JUDGES.  211 

First  appointed.  No. 

Frederick  Wolcott  "  1786  M 

Roger  Skinner  "  1796  10 

Aaron  Burr  Reeve  "  180  2 

Elijah  Adams  "  1808  1 

Jabez  W.  Huntington  "  1809  20 

Phineas  Miner  "  1829  8 

George  C.  Woodruff  «  1837  3 

Francis  Bacon  "  1840  2 

Reuben  M.  Woodruff  "  1842  2 

Douglas  Watson  "  1844  1 

William  E.  Dickinson  "  1845  1 

Philip  Wells  "  1846  1 

George  C.  Woodruff  "  1847  4 

Duel  Sedgwick  "  1851  1 

George  a  Woodruff  "  1852  2 

Charles  O.  Bclden  "  1854  1 

P.  K.  Kilbourn  "  18"  3 

Edward  W.  Seymour  "  1868  in  office 


Court  of  Common  gta, 

COUNTY  OF  LITCHFIELD. 


[Previous  to  1S10.  t li i  —  Court  consisted  of  one  Presiding  Judge  and  f"-.vr  A- 
Judges,  called   "  Justices  of  the  Quorum.'"     From  1819  to  183a,  there  were  but  two 
Associate  Judges,  iii-tea<l  of  four.     From  1S30  till  the  abolition  '4' the  Court  in  1855, 
there  were  no  Associate  Judges — the  County  Commissioners  being  their  suco 


CHIEF  JUDGES. 

William  Preston,  Woodbury 
John  Williams,  Sharon 
Oliver  Wolcott,  Litchfield 
Daniel  Sherman,  Woodbury 
Joshua  Porter,  Salisbury 
Aaron  Austin.  New  Hartford 
Augustus  Pettibone,  Norfolk 
David  S.  Boardman.  N.  Milford 
William  M.  Burrall,  Canaan 
Ansel  Sterling.  Sharon 
Calvin  Butler,  Plymouth 
Ansel  Sterling.  Sharon 


1751 

3 

1754 

1!' 

177--: 

1!' 

1786 

5 

1791 

17 

1808 

8 

14 

1831 

5 

1836 

o 

1838 

1 

1-:;!. 

1 

1840 

212  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

First  appointed.     No.  years. 

William  M.  Burrall,  Caiman         1842  2 

Abijah  Catlin,  Harwinton              1844  2 

Elisha  S.  Abernethy,  Litchfield    1846  1 

Holbrook  Curtis,  Watertown        1847  2 

Hiram  Goodwin,  Barkhamsted     1849  1 

Charles  B.  Phelps,  Woodbury      1850  1 

Hiram  Goodwin,  Barkhamsted     1851  1 

Charles  B.  Phelps,  Woodbury       1852  2 

Hiram  Goodwin,  Barkhamsted     1854  1 


ASSOCIATE  JUDGES. 

Thomas  Chipman,  Salisbury 

John  Williams,  Sharon 

Samuel  Canfield,  New  Milford 

Ebenezer  Marsh,  Litchfield 

Joseph  Bird,  Salisbury 

Noah  Hinman,  Woodbury 

Elisha  Sheldon,  Litchfield 

Increase  Moseley,  Woodbury 

Roger  Sherman,  New  Milford 

Daniel  Sherman,  Woodbury 

Bushnell  Bostwick,  New  Milford  1762 

Joshua  Porter,  Salisbury 

Samuel  Canfield,  New  Milford 

Jedediah  Strong,  Litchfield 

Heman  Swift,  Cornwall 

Aaron  Austin,  New  Hartford 

Nathan  Hale,  Caanan 

David  Smith,  Plymouth 

D.  N.  Brinsmade,  Washington 

Judson  Canfield,  Sharon 

Birdsey  Norton,  Goshen 

Augustus  Pettibone,  Norfolk 

Uriel  Holmes,  Litchfield 

Moses  Lyman,  Jr.,  Goshen 

Oliver  Burnbam,  Cornwall 

Cyrus  Swan,  Sharon 

Martin  Strong,  Salisbury 

John  Welch,  Litchfield 

William  M.  Burrall,  Canaan 

Morris  Woodruff,  Litchfield 

Hugh  P.  Welch,  Litchfield 


1751 

2 

1751 

3 

1751 

4 

1751 

21 

1758 

1 

1754 

5 

1754 

7 

1755 

25 

1759 

3 

1761 

25 

1762 

14 

1772 

19 

1777 

13 

1780 

11 

17S6 

16 

1790 

18 

1791 

18 

1791 

23 

1804 

16 

1808 

7 

1809 

3 

1812 

4 

1814 

3 

1815 

2 

1816' 

o 
it 

1817 

2 

1817 

12 

1819 

10 

1829 

7 

1829 

10 

1836 

3 

MEMBERS    OF    CONGRESS.  213 

cLiniteb  States  Senators  elected  from  yitc|Mb  tountn. 

First  chosen.    No.  years. 
Uriah  Tracy,  Litchfield  1796  11 

Elijah  Boardman,  New  Milford     1821  died  in  office. 
Perry  Smith,  New  Milford  1836  6 

Truman  Smith,  Litchfield  1849  5 


Members  of  Cimpss  eletteD  from  pbtpeD)  ounto. 

Uriah  Tracy,  Litchfield                  170:5  3 

Nathaniel  Smith,  Woodbury          1795  4 
John  Allen,  Litchfield                   1797 

John  Cotton  Smith,  Sharon          1800  6 

Benjamin  Tallmadgc,  Litchfield  1801  16 

Uriel  Holmes,  Litchfield               1817  1 

Ansel  Sterling,  Sharon                   1821  4 

Orange  Morwin,  New  Milford       1825  4 

Jabez  W.Huntington,  Litchfield  1829  5 

Phineas  Miner,  Litchfield             1834  1 

Lancelot  Phelps,  Colebrook          1835  4 

Truman  Smith,  Litchfield             1839  8 

Origen  S.  Seymour,  Litchfield      1851  4 

William  W.  Welch,  Norfolk         1855  2 

•» . —  M *    «#'    » ■■— ►— • 

Members  of  the  Council. 

Elisha  Sheldon,  Litchfield            1761  18 

Oliver  Wolcott,  Litchfield             1771  15 

Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield            1781  9 

Jedediah  Strong,  Litchfield          1789  1 

Heman  Swift,  Cornwall                 1790  12 

Tapping  Reeve,  Litchfield             1792  1 

Aaron  Austin,  New  Hartford        1794  24 

Nathaniel  Smith,  Woodbury         1799  6 

John  Allen,  Litchfield                    1800  6 

John  Cotton  Smith,  Sharon           1809  1 

Judson  Canfield,  Sharon               1809  6 

Frederick  Wolcott,  Litchfield       1810  9 

Noah  B.  Benedict,  Woodbury       1816  2 

Elijah  Boardman,  Now  Milford     1817  1 


214  HISTORY   OP   LITCHFIELD. 

Senators 

FOR  LITCHFIELD  COUNTY — ELECTED  BY  GENERAL  TICKET. 


[Under  the  Constitution  of  1818,  Senators  are  elected  in  place  of  Members  of  the 
Council,  or  Assistants.] 

Chosen.      No.  years. 

Frederick  Wolcott,  Litchfield 

Elijah  Bpardman,  New  Milford 

Orange  Merwin,  New  Milford 

Seth  P.  Beers,  Litchfield 

John  Welch,  Litchfield 

Samuel  Church,  Salisbury 

Homer  Boardman,  New  Milford     1828 


1819 

4 

1819 

2 

1824 

4 

1824 

1 

1825 

3 

1825 

3 

UNDER    THE    DISTRICT    SYSTEM. 
[Fifteenth  District.] 

Phincas  Miner,  Litchfield                1830  2 

William  G.  Williams,  N.  Hartford  1832  2 

Theron  Rockwell,  Colebrook           1834  2 

James  Beebe,  Winchester               1836  2 

Andrew  Abernethy,  Harwinton      1838  2 

Lambert  Hitchcock,  Barkhamsted  1840  2 

Martin  Webster,  Torrington           1842  1 

Israel  Coe,  Torrington                     1843  1 

Abijah  Catlin,  Harwinton                1844  1 

William  Beebe,  Litchfield                1845  1 

Lucius  Clarke,  Winchester              1846  1 

Gideon  Hall,  Jr.,  Winchester          1847  1 

Roger  H.  Mills,  New  Hartford        1848  1 

Francis  Bacon,  Litchfield               1849  1 

Samuel  W.  Coe,  Winchester           1850  1 

Charles  Adams,  Litchfield               1851  1 

Warren  Phelps,  Colebrook              1852  1 

Elliot  Beardsley,  Winchester          1853  1 

John  Boyd,  Winchester                   1854  1 

Charles  O.  Belden,  Litchfield         1855  1 

Gideon  H.  Hollister,  Litchfield      1856  1 

George  D.  Wadhams,  Torrington  1857  1 

Reuben  Rockwell,  Colebrook          1858  1 

Sholdon  Osborne,  Harwinton         1859  1 


OFFICERS  OF  LITCHFIELD  COUNTY 


215 


CmmtiT  (Officers. 

HIGH   SHERIFFS. 

F 

'irst  chosen. 

X".  rears. 

Oliver  Wolcott 

1751 

21 

Lynde  Lord 

1772 

29 

John  R.  Landon 

1701 

18 

Moses  Seymour,  Jr., 

1819 

6 

Ozias  Seymour 

1825 

9 

Albert  Sedgwick 

1834 

1 

Charles  A.  Judson 

1835 

3 

Albert  Sedgwick 

1838 

16 

Leverett  W.  Wessells 

1854 
SURERS. 

in  office. 

COUNTY   TREA 

John  Catlin,         Litchfield 

,          1751 

10 

Elisha  Sheldon             " 

1761 

18 

Reuben  Smith              " 

1779 

22 

Julius  Deming              " 

1801 

13 

Abel  Catlin                  " 

1814 

28 

Charles  L.  Webb          " 

1842 

E  R  K  S . 

in  office, 

COUNTY  CL 

Isaac  Baldwin 

1751 

42 

Frederick  Wolcott 

1793 

43 

Origen  S.  Seymour 

1836 

8 

Gideon  H.  Hollister 

1844 

2 

Origen  S.  Seymour 

1846 

1 

Gideon  H.  Hollister 

1847 

3 

Elisha  Johnson 

1850 

1 

Frederick  D.  Beeman 

m       ^m       i 

1851 

in  office 

NOTARIES  PUBLIC. 

[Appointed  by  the  Governor  for  two  years. J 


Uriah  Tracy 
Frederick  Wolcott 
Seth  P.  Beers 
David  C.  Sanford 
Nathan  Cooley 
George  C.  Woodruff 
O.  S.  Seymour 
J.  K.  Averill 


G.  H.  Hollister 
Francis  Bacon 
George  W.  Beers 
P.  K.  Kilbourn 
Samuel  P.  Bolles 
Jacob  Kilbourn 
E.  L.  Houghton 
Francis  E.  Harrison. 


216  HISTORY    OF   LJTCHFiELP. 

gorougl]  of  StfcpeHr. 


[Incorporated  in  1818.] 


PRESIDENTS. 

First  chosen. 

No.  year; 

Frederick  Wolcott 

1818 

2 

Uriel  Holmes 

1820 

4 

William  Buel 

1824 

14 

Phineas  Miner 

1838 

1 

Joseph  Adams 

1839 

3 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith 

1842 

11 

Garwood  Sanford 

1853 

1 

Henry  B.  Graves 

1854 

2 

P.  K.  Kilbourn 

1856 

1 

Frederick  D.  Beeman 

1857 

1 

John  H.  Hubbard 

1858 

1 

TREASURERS. 

William  Buel 

1818 

6 

Phineas  Miner 

1824 

14 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith 

1838 

4 

Abel  Catlin 

1842 

4 

Charles  L.  Webb 

1846 

7 

Chauncey  M.  Hooker 

1853 

3 

Henry  Ward 

1856 

1 

Edward  W.  Seymour 

1857 

2 

CLERKS. 

Joseph  Adams 

1818 

5 

Seth  P.  Beers 

1823 

1 

Joseph  Adams 

1824 

14 

Sylvester  Galpin 

1838 

4 

Stephen  Trowbridge 

1842 

4 

P.  K.  Kilbourn 

1846 

7 

Albert  Stoddard 

1853 

1 

P.  K.  Kilbourn 

1854 

2 

Henry  W.  Buel 

1856 

1 

David  E.  Bostwick 

1857 

2 

TOWN    OFFICERS.  21' 

[Borougli  Officers — Continued.] 

BAILIFFS- 

[In  the  order  of  their  election.] 


Abel  Catlin  Ebenezer  W.  Bolles 

Asa  Bacon  Erastus  A.  Lord 
Seth  P.  Beers,  (declined.)    James  C.  Wadsworth 

Samuel  Buel  Sylvester  Gal  pin 

Ezekiel  Lewis  David  C.  Bulkley 

Oliver  Goodwin  "William  R.  Buel 

Stephen  Deming  William  Lord 

Samuel  P.  Bolles  Augustus  P.  Hinman 

Leonard  Goodwin  A.  S.  Lewis 
David  C.  Sanford,  (declin'd)  Wm.  H.  Crossman 

Frederick  Deming  Edward  P.  Cheney 

Jonathan  Carrington  George  H.  Baldwin 

William  Deming  Wm.  F.  Baldwin 


iToton  (Liters. 


TREASURERS. 

Chosen.  No.  yean. 

John  Bird  1721  15 

Joseph  Bird  1736  2 

John  Buel  1738  13 

William  Marsh  1751  4 

Supply  Strong  1755  8 

Joshua  Garrett  1763  5 

Reuben  Smith  1768  2 

Abraham  Bradley  1770  6 

"William  Stanton  1776         resigned. 

Samuel  Lyman  1776  1 

Reuben  Smith  1777  6 

Abraham  Bradley  1783  4 

Moses  Seymour  1787  2 

Ebenezer"  Marsh  1789  1 

Timothy  Skinner  1790  2 

Abraham  Bradley  J  792  2 

Benjamin  Tallmadge  1794  7 

Ebenezer  Marsh  1801  2 

James  Gould  1803  8 

Samuel  Buel  1811  25 

Isaac  Lawrence  1836  5 

William  F.  Baldwin  1841  3 
28 


•218 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 


George  Dewey  1844  1 

George  C.  Woodruff  1845  1 

Francis  Bacon  1846  1 

George  C.  Woodruff  1847  4 

Frederick  D.  Beeman  1851  3 

Stephen  Trowbridge  1854  1 

Lemuel  0.  Meafoy  1855  1 

William  F.  Baldwin  1856  in  office. 


CLE  R K  S 

John  Marsh 

1721 

9 

John  Bird 

J  730 

5 

Joseph  Bird 

1735 

1 

John  Bird 

1736 

2 

Joshua  Garrett 

1708 

4 

Isaac  Baldwin 

1742 

31 

Jedediah  Strong 

1773 

16 

Moses  Seymour 

1789 

37 

Elihu  Harrison 

1826 

10 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 

1836 

4 

Sylvester  Galpin 

1840 

1 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 

1841 

13 

Charles  0.  Belden 

1854 

1 

George  A.  Hickox 

1855 

3 

George  H.  Baldwin 

1858 

in  office. 

SELECTMEN. 


Chosen.  Ceosen, 

1737  Allen,  Daniel  1  1843 

1735  Baldwin,  David  2  1853 

1782  Baldwin,  Isaac  2  1832 

1758  Barns,  Abel  2  1803 

1846  Beach,  Heman  1  1773 

1777  Beach,  Miles  1  1777 
1748  Beach,  Samuel  1  1846 

1778  Beebe,  Bezaleel  3     -  1833 

1825  Beebe.  William  4  1726 

1847  Beckwith,  Josiah  G.  6  1811 
1841  Benton,  David  2  1802 

1826  Bird,  John  2  1746 
1727  Bird,  Joseph  9  1756 
1770  Bird,  Seth  4  1744 
1811  Birge,  James  10  1821 
1745  Birge,  Joseph  1  1748 
1817  Birge,  Joseph  1?  .  1838 
1751  Bissell,  Isaac  2  1763 


Bissell,  William  2 
Blakeslee,  Fred'k  M.  3 
Bolles,  Samuel  P.  1 
Bradley,  Aaron  9 
Bradley,  Abraham  13 
Buel,  Archelus  1 
Buel,  Frederick   1 
Buel,  George  M.  2 
Buel,  John  12 
Buel,  Jonathan  5 
Buel,  Norman  6 
Buel,  Peter  4 
Buel,  Solomon  3 
Catlin,  John  5 
Catlin,  Levi  5 
Catlin,  Thomas  2 
Coe,  William  2 
Collins,  Timothy  2 . 


SELECTMEN  OF  LITCHFIELD. 


219 


1815  Clark,  Peck  1  1798 

1758  Culver,  Nathaniel  1  1785 

1731   Culver,  Samuel  5  1792 

1841   Curtis,  Eli  3  1817 

1791  Deming,  Julius  1  1854 
1827  Deming,  Stephen  1  1768 
183G  Dewey,  George  2  1810 
1757  Farnham,  John  2  1857 
1851  Frisbie,  Henry  3  1821 
1834  Frisbie,  Levi  '2  L740 
1844  Garnsey,  Edward  3  1799 
1833  Garnsey,  John  3  1721 
1790   Garnsey,  Noah?  4  1755 

1737  Garrett,  Joshua  11  1785 
1736  Gay,  John  2  1717 
1754  Gibhs,  Benjamin  2  1737 
1841    Gilbert,  Truman   G  1761 

1738  Gillett,  Joseph  3  1762 
1747  Goodwin,  Abraham  3  1756 
1795   Goodwin,  Nathaniel  9  1779 

1846  Goslee,  Henry  R.  1  1819 
1757  Grant,  Josiah  1  1858 
1825  Griswold,  Benjamin  2  1847 
1725  Griswold,  Jacob  9  1857 
1822  Griswold,  Julius  4  1817 

1839  Griswold,  Henry  S.  2  1846 

1827  Guild,  Gad  1  1786 
1810  Hall,  Ephraim  S.,  7  1831 
1784  Harrison,  Elihu  2  1846 

1828  Harrison,  Roswell  2  1770 
1746  Harrison,  Thomas  3  1838 
1830  Harrison,  William  4  1845 
1854  Heaton,  Levi  1  1843 
1830  Hopkins,  Asa  1  1833 
1&S45  Jones,  Charles  1  1836 

1847  Kenney,  Murray  1  1738 
1746  Kilbourn,  Abraham  7  1754 

1792  Kilbourn,  David  3  1769 
1746  Kilbourn,  James  3  1815 
1782  Kilbourn,  Jeslle  2  1780 
1722  Kilbourn,  Joseph  1  1743 
1740  Kilbourn,  Joseph,  Jr.  3  1817 

1840  Kilbourn,  Norman  1 

1832  Kilbourn,  Putnam  3  1835 

1799  Kirby, -Ephraim  4  1825 

1836  Landon,  Abner  10  1797 

1753  Landon,  Daniel  4  1754 


Landon,  John  1 
Landon,  Seth  2 
Lewis,  Ozi:i-   .") 
Lewis,  Ozias,  Jr.  9 
Lewis,  A.  S.    1 
Lord,  Lynde  2 
Lord,  Phineas  6 
Marsh,  Andrew  W.   1 
Marsh,  David  1 
Marsh,  Ebenezer  13 
Marsh,  James,  2d  7 
Marsh,  John  5 
Marsh,  John  10 
Marsh,  Roger  2 
Marsh.  William  5 
Mason,  Joseph  3 
Mason,  Joseph,  Jr.  1 
Marvin,  Reynold  2 
McNiel,  Archibald  8 
McNiel,  Archibald,  Jr. 
Merwin,  Samuel  A.  2 
Minor,   Garry  H.   1 
Morse,  Jacob  1 
Morse,  Jacob,  Jr.  2 
Moss,   Philo  5 
Moss,  Stephen   1 
Murray,  Philemon  1 
Newton,  Isaac  5 
Newton,  William  3 
Osborn,  John  4 
Oviatt,  John  A.  3 
Parkhurst,  Prentice  1 
Peck,  Sidney  2 
Pickett,  Rufus  2 
Pierpont,  Edward  2 
Phelps,  Edward  7 
Plumb,  Ezra  5 
Prindle,  Mark  2 
Russell,  Stephen  7 
Sanford,  Jonah  2 
Sanford,  Joseph  3 
Sanford,  Simeon  7 
Sanford,  Stephen,  2d  1 
Sedgwick,  Albert  1 
Seymour,  Charles  1 
Seymour,  Samuel  6 
Sheldon.  Elisha  3 


220 


HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 


1805  Sherman,  Peter  7  1754 

1784  Skinner,  Timothy  1  1838 

1803  Smith,  Aaron  8  1832 

1855  Smith,  Abraham  C.  4  1737 

1857  Smith,  Anson  C  2  1738 

1852  Smith,  George  A.  2  1846 

1776  Smith,  Reuben  1  1822 

1778  Stoddard,  Bryant  2  1769 

1857  Stoddard,  Daniel  B.  2  1799 

1820  Stoddard,  Enos  4  1833 

1783  Stoddard,  James  1  1828 
1780  Stoddard  John  1  1818 

1743  Stoddard,  Moses  2  1840 

1784  Stone,  Heber  8  1787 
1 851  Stone,  Willis  2  1761 
1820  Woodru  .  Morris  2  1760 
1770  Strong,  Jedediah  13  1843 

1744  Strong,  Supply  4  1849 

1836 


Taylor,  E'^-^'/er  3 
Tuttle,  Isaac  1 
Tuttle,  William  3 
Walker,  Josiah  1 
Webster,  Benjamin  5 
Webster,  Lyman  1 
Webster,  Reuben  2 
Welch,  David  9 
Welch,  John  4 
Wells,  Tomlinson  5 
Wessells,  Ashbel  3 
Westoyer,  David  2 
Whiting,  Jason  1 
AVhittlesey,  Roger  N.  7 
AVolcott,  Oliver  7 
Woodruff,  Jacob  5 
Woodruff,  Reuben  M.  2 
Woodward,  Sherman  P.  3 
Wright,  Samuel  2 


FIRST  CONSTABLES  AND  COLLECTORS. 


Jacob  Woodruff 
Asa  Hopkins 
Nathaniel  Goodwin 
Uriah  Catlin 
Jonathan  Mason 
John  Marsh,  3d, 
David  Stoddard 
William  Stanton 
David  Stoddard 
Timothy  Skinner 
Asahel  Strong 
Timothy  Skinner 
Heber  Stone 

Roger  Newton  Whittlesey 
Nathaniel  Smith,  2d 
David  Stoddard 
Samuel  Seymour 
John  Phelps 
Ozias  Lewis 
Samuel  Seymour 
James  Stone 
Nathaniel  Smith,  2d 
James  Stone 
Ozias  Seymour 
Dan  Harrison 


Chosen. 

No.  years. 

1756 

4 

1760 

5 

1765 

5 

1770 

1 

1771 

1 

1772 

2 

1774 

1 

1775 

1 

1776 

1 

1777 

1 

1778 

4 

1782 

1 

1783 

1 

1784 

1 

1785 

1 

1786 

1 

1787 

1 

1788 

1 

1789 

2 

1791 

2 

1793 

1 

1794 

2 

1796 

3 

1799 

2 

1801 

1 

CONSTABLES. 

Ozias  Lewis,  Jr. 

1802 

1 

Joseph  Adams 

1803 

2 

Reuben  Webster 

1805 

1 

Dan  Harrison 

1806 

■> 

James  Stone 

1808* 

3 

Jacob  Kilbourn 

1811 

3 

Samuel  Wright 

1814 

2 

Charles  Buel 

1816 

6 

Eliada  Peek 

1822 

1 

Charles  Buel 

1823 

;i 

Jacob  Kilbourn 

1828 

1 

Albert  Sedgwick 

1832 

•> 

Seth  Catlin 

1834 

2 

Alanson  Hall 

1836 

1 

Augustus  Morey 

1837 

1 

Benjamin  Kilbourn 

1838 

3 

William  Lord 

1841 

2 

Leverett  W.  Wessells 

1843 

1 

William  F.  Baldwin 

1844 

2 

Leverett  W.  Wessells 

1846 

1 

William  F.  Baldwin 

1847 

5 

221 


[This  joint  office  was  abolished  in  1852. 
since  held  the  office  of  Collector.] 


A.  S.  Lewis,  Esq.,  has 


CONSTABLES. 

Chosen.  Chosen. 

1788  Adams,  Andrew,  Jr.  2  1347 

1803  Adams,  Joseph  6  1853 

1754   Baldwin,  Abner  9  1776 

1844  Baldwin,  William  F.  7  1784 

1805   Barnard,  Brainard   1  1749 

1838  Beach,  lleman  1  1827 

1855  Birge,  Chester  G.  1  1770 
1798  Birge,  Joseph  4  1828 
1802  Bishop,  Amos  3  1836 
1820  Benton,  David  2  1854 

1839  Birge,  Albert  H.  2  1846 

1840  Bissell,  Henry  B.  1  1802 
1738  Bissell,  Isaac,  Jr.  5  1841 

1837  Blakeslee,  Asa  1  1795 
1816  Buel,  Charles  14  1852 

1838  Buel,  Charles  S.  5  .  1726 
1767   Bradley,  Abraham  3  1790 

1856  Bradley,  George  3  1846 
1S52  Burgess,  William  L.  3  1847 


Brooker,  Samuel,  Jr  2 
Candee,  John  B.  2 
Catlin,  Alexander  1 
Catlin,  David  3 
Catlin,  John  5 
Catlin,  Seth  10 
Catlin,  Uriah  2 
Carter,  Lyman   7 
Chadwick,  Abiather  2 
Cheney,  Edward  P.  1 
Churchill,  Daniel  C.  1 
Clark,  Daniel  1 
Clark,  Job  1 
Collins  James  1 
Crossman,  William  H. 
Culver,  Samuel  1 
Eraons,  Phineaa  7 
Ensign,  William  M.  1 
Ford,  Royal  A.  1 


222 


HISTORY    OF    LITCHFIELD. 


1846  Frisbie,  Frederick  1 
1806   Frisbie,  Levi  3 
1839  Garnsey,  Elijah  M,  2 
1853   Garnsey,  George  2 
1819   Garnsey,  Jolm  2 
1784  Garnsey,  N.  5 

1805   Garnsey,  Samuel  2 
1733   Garrett,  Joshua  6 
1789   Garrett,  Joshua  3 
1738  Gay,  John  5 
1728  Gibbs,  Benjamin  1 

1852  Gilbert,  William  H.  1 

1721  Goodrich,  William  1 
1742   Goodwin,  Abraham  2 
1759   Goodwin,  Nathaniel  14 
1792   Goodwin,  Nathaniel  3 
1777   Goodwin,  Solomon  2 
1832  Goslee,  Chester  C.  4 
1855  Goslee,  Thomas  C.  2 
1755   Grant,  Jehiel  2 

1782   Grant,  Jesse  1 

1722  Griswold,  Jacob  1 

1853  Griswold,  Lucius  1 
1830  Hall,  Alanson  8 

1835  Hall,  Salmon  C.  1 
1795   Harrison,  Dau  14 

1847  Harrison,  Rollin  H.  3 

1838  Harrison,  Simeon  G.  1 
1746  Hopkins,  Asa  14 

1807  Hopkins,  Asa  1 
1757   Hosford,  Benjamin  1 
1755  Hosford,  David  1 
1812  Humaston,  Sherman 

1839  Judd,  Jesse  L.  2 
1838  Kilbourn,  Benjamin  3 

1808  Kilbourn,  Jacob  23 
1857  Kilbourn,  Homer  2 
1857  Lake,  Peter  1 

17  70  Landon,  Daniel,  jr.  4 
1744  Landon,  James  5 

1836  Landon,  Sherman  3 
1790  Lewis,  Ozias  2 
1841   Lord,  William  2 
1737  Marsh,  George  1 
1795  Marsh,  James  5 
1773  Marsh,  Ebenezer  2 
1818  Marsh,  Jared  1 
1772  Marsh,  John  5? 


1849  Marsh,  John  2 
1829  Marsh,  Kirby  7 
1771  Marsh,  Solomon  1 
1826  Marsh,  Tracy  1 
1841  McNiel,  Charles  2 
1725  Mason,  Joseph  1 
1769   Mason,  Jonathan  6 
1736  Mather,  Timothy  1 

1849  Merwin,  Frederick  S.  3 
1841  Merwin.  Samuel  A.  5 
1836  Morey,  Augustus  3 

1850  Morse,  Jacob  Jr.  4 
1777  Morse,  Levi  5 
1857  Munger,  George  2 
1S17  Northrop,  Abner  7 
1835  Norton,  William  1 
1724  Orton,  Samuel  1 
1805  Page,  David,  Jr.  1 
1841  Parkhurst,  Prentice  1 
1820  Peck,  Eliada  10 

1844  Peck,  Edward  O.  6 

1852  Peck,  George  1 

1853  Peck,  Joseph  C.  5 

1841  Pickett,  Rufus  1 

1849  Pierpont,  Andrew  J.  3 

1842  Pierpont,  George  3 
1842  Pierpont,  George  B.  3 
1782  Phelps,  John  12 
1846   Pratt,  Henry  M.  1 
1805   Ray,  David  6 

1854  Richards,  Henry  B.  1 
1817   Russell,  Emanuel  3 
1794  Sanford,  Stephen  2d,  9 
1830  Sedgwick,  Albert  4 
1853  Sedgwick,  Buel  1 
1799   Seymour,  Ozias  9 
1785  Seymour,  Samuel  5 
1777   Skinner,  Timothy' 4 
1787  Smith,  Eli  2 

1809   Smith,  George  2 
1724  Smith,  Nathaniel  1 
1781  Smith,  Nathaniel  2d,  12 

1845  Smith,  Rufus  3 
1775  Stanton,  William  1 

1773  Stoddard,  Briant  5 

1774  Stoddard,  David  8 
1838  Stoddard,  Daniel  B.  2 

1850  Stoddard,  Homer  2 


LISTERS. 


1787  Stoddard,  James  5 

1782  Stone,  Heber  4 

1793  Stone,  James  10 

1779  Stone,  Reuben  2 
1847  Stone,  Lewis  1 
1778  Strong,  Asahel  5 
1857  Taylor,  Isaac  2 

1837  Taylor,  Phineas  1 

1 780  Tracy,  Uriah  1 
1830  Turner,  David  P.  1 
1723  Walker,  Josiah  1 
1731  Webster,  Benjamin  2 

1838  Webster,  Lyman  1 
1805  Webster,  Reuben  1 
1842  Wadhams,  Charles  D.  8 

17  9  G  Wright, 


1788  Welch,  John  5 
1779  Whittlesey,  Roger  X.  8 
1839  Whittlesey,  William  II.  2 
1842  Wessells,  Leverett  W.  2 
184G  Wetmore,  John,  Jr.  1 
1820  Wilmot,  Eli  1 
1844  Woodruff,  Edward  4 
1816  Woodruff,  Enoch  J.  5 
1750   Woodruff.  Jar,,!)  7 
1813  Woodruff  James  8 
1830  Woodruff  Nathaniel  1 
1825  Woodward,  Henry  B.  1 
18U8  Woodward,  Reuben  S.  4 
1851   Wright,  Everett  11.  1 
1811  Wright,  Samuel  13 
Jonathan,  2d,  2 


LISTERS,  OR  RATE-MAKERS. 

]From  1721  to  1819.    At  the  hitter  date,  Assessors  were  substituted — the  duties 
of  the  two  offices  being  much  the  same.] 


Chosen. 

1771   Adams,  Andrew  2 
1811  Adams,  Elijah  1 
1802  Adams,  Joseph  12 
1789  Allen,  John  2 
1722  Allen,  Nehemiah  1 
1794  Ames,  Cheney  1 
1791   Baldwin,  Horace  1 
1742   Baldwin,  Isaac  31 
1780  Baldwin,  Isaac,  Jr,  5 
1810  Baldwin,  Isaac,  2d  1 
1736  Baldwin,  John  1 
1776  Baldwin,  Phineas  6' 
1784  Baldwin,  William  3 
1735  Baldwin,  Nathaniel  1 
1768  Barnard,  Samuel  2 
1750  Barns,  Abel  3 
1783   Barns,    Amos  4 
1775   Barns,  Moses  1 
1782   Barns,  Timothy  1 
1779    Beach,  Miles  1 


Chosen. 

1775   Beach,  Laban  1 
1764  Beach.  Zophar  2 
1818  Beebe,  William  1. 
1778  Benton,  Ebenezer  2 
1808   Benton,  Ebenezer,  Jr,  1 
1807  Bolles,  Ebenezer 
1818   Birge,  Albert  1 
1758   Birge,  Benjamin  1 
1793   Birge,  James  4 
1723   Bird,  John  0 

1775  Bird.  Seth  2 
1762  Bidwell,  Stephen  1 
1803  Bishop,  Amos  2 
1805  Bishop,  Calvin  1 
1782  Bishop,  Luman  2 
1771    Bishop,  Sylvanus  8 
173G   Bissell,  Isaac,  Jr.  9 
1810   Bissell,  John  1 
1796    Bradley.  Aaron  2 

1776  Bradlev,  Abraham  9 


224 


HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 


1804  Bradli  v.  Comfort  2 
1817  Bradley,  Lemuel  2 

1781  Bradley,  Phineas  1 
178G  Bradley,  Zina  2 

1774  Buel,  Archelus  1 
1801  Buel,  Charles  8 
1709  Buel,  Jonathan  4 
1789  Buel,  Norman  7 

1775  Buel,  Peter  2 
1806  Buel,  Samuel  7 
1763   Buel,  Solomon  2 
1777   Burgess,  James,  Jr.  1 
1787  Camp,  Abel,  Jr.  2 

1782  Catlin,  Alexander  1 
1789   Catlin,  Bradley  2 

1783  Catlin,  David  1 
1801   Catlin,  Horace  1 
1752  Catlin,  John  3 
1763  Catlin,  Thomas  4 
1794  Catlin,  Thomas,  Jr.  3 
1791   Chase,  Lot  8 

1817  Chase,  Philo  3 
1766  Clark,  Elisha  1 
1812  Clark,  Peck  1 
1812  Coe,  Levi  1 
1806  Clemons,  Abel  1 

1760  Clemons,  John,  Jr.  3 

1761  Collins,  John  I 

1766  Collins,  Timothy  1 
1757  Collins,  Oliver  1 

1796  Collins,  William  2 
1774   Comstock,  Calvin  11 
1755   Culver,  Nathaniel  3 
1723   Culver,  Samuel  1 
1787  Deming,  Julius  2 
1814   Deining,  Frederick    1 
1806   Dennison,  Chauncey  1 
1817   Dewey,  George  1 
1779  Dickinson,  Michael  1 
1786  Dickinson,  Oliver  1 
1799   Dutton,  Thomas  1 
1791    Emons,  Arthur,  jr.  1 
1770   Emons,  Arthur  4 

1797  Emons,  Phineas  I 
1803  Ensign,  Isaac  3 
1773  Ensign,  Samuel  1 
1730   Fairbanks,  Jonathan  2 

1767  Farnham,  Gad  2 


1774  Farnham,  Nathan,  1 

1778  Farnham,  Seth,  1 
1791   Foot,  Timothy,  Jr.  3 
1804  Frisbie,  Jonathan  1 
1H11   Frisbie,  Levi  1 

1813  Garnsey,  John  2 
1781  Garnsey,  Noah  2 
1767  Garnsey,  Nathan  4 

1727  Garrett,  Joshua  8 
1781   Garrett,  Joshua,  Jr.  2 

1818  Garrett,  Daniel  1 

1817  Galpin,  Sylvester  1 

1728  Gay,  John  2 
1759   Gibbs,  Benjamin  1 

1781  Gibbs,  Caleb  1 

1779  Gibbs,  Lemuel  1 

1794  Gibbs,  Eeuben  1 

1819  Gilbert,  Abner  1 

1799  Gilbert,  Calvin   4 
1816   Gilbert,  James  1 
1807   Glazier,  John  1 
1736  Gillett,  Joseph  1 
1727   Goodwin,  Abraham  2 
1753  Goodwin,  Nathaniel  16 
1812  Goodwin,  Oliver  5 
1777   Goodwin,  Solomon  3 

1818  Goodwin,  Thomas  1 
1803   Goslee,  Solomon  3 

1801  Gould,  James  1 

1800  Grannis,  Gurdon  2 

1812  Grannis,  Thomas  1 
1796  Grant,  Ambrose  1 
1785    Grant,  Charles  4 
1746   Grant,  Jehiel  6 

1736  Grant,  Josiah  1 
1761    Grant,  Josiah  jr.  1 

1782  Grant,  Jesse  3 

1737  Grant,  Thomas  8 

1814  Green,  Samuel  1 

1813  Griswold,  Benjamin   1 

1780  Guitteau,  Judson  2 

1802  Gunn,  Samuel  1 
1811   Hall,  David  2 
1799  Hall,  Ephraim  S.  3 
1806  Hand,  S.  P.  1 

1795  Harrison,  Dan  3 
1790  Harrison,  Elihu  1 
1761    Harrison,  Ephraim  3 


LISTERS. 

1757  Harrison,  Gideon  2 

1B05 

1767  Harrison,  Lemuel  4 

1745 

1811  Harrison,  Roswell  2 

1768 

1744  Harrison,  Thomas  2 

1752 

1801   Harrison.  Simeon  3 

1758 

1742  Hibbard,  Reuben  2 

1776 

1796  Holmes,  Uriel  2 

1779 

1826  Hopkins,  Asa  1 

1799 

1781   Hopkins,  Harris  2 

180!) 

1807  Hopkins,  William  1 

1727 

1724  Hosford,  Benjamin  2 

1718 

1752  Hosford,  David  3 

1756 

1778  Hosford,  John  1 

1784 

1803   Humaston,  Asaph  1 

1775 

1780  Huinaston,  John  Jr.  1 

'    1790 

1784  Humaston,  Noah  2 

1774 

1816  Humaston,  Sherman  2 

1814 

1818  Humpherville,  Lemuel  1 

1818 

1754  Kilbourn,  Abraham  4 

1801 

1707  KilLourn,  David  8 

179S 

1802  Kilbourn,  Jacob  1 

1788 

1811   Kilbourn,  Jeremiah  1 

1785 

1781   Kilbourn,  Jesse  3 

17G1 

1725  Kilbourn,  Joseph  1 

1777 

1724  Kilbourn,  Joseph  Jr.  1 

1792 

1800  Kilbourn,  Levi  2 

1809 

1792   Kilbourn,  Orange  4 

1770 

1743   Landon,  Daniel  3 

1784 

1793   Landon,  Daniel  2d,  1 

1769 

1774  Landon,  Seth  7 

1762 

1811   Landon,  Seth  Jr.  2 

1778 

1803  Landon,  Zophar  3 

1782 

1722  Lee,  Thomas  1 

1813 

1808  Lewis,  Luke  1 

1780 

1780  Lewis,  Ozias  1 

1787 

18 10  Lewis,  Ozjas  Jr.  1 

1797 

1770  Linsley,  Edward  6 

1806 

1783  Lord,  Daniel  1 

1778 

1776  Lord,  Lynde  1 

1804 

1811  Marsh,  Aaron  1 

1757 

1728  Marsh,  Ebenezer  1 

1796 

1736  Marsh,  George  2 

1814 

1791  Marsh,  James  3 

1781 

1771  Marsh,  John  1 

180(J  : 

1802  Marsh,  Isaac  2 

1788  : 

1793  Marsh,  Nathaniel  1 

1810  : 

1771  Mars)),  Roger  2 

1810  ! 

1789  Marsh,  Roger  Jr.  1 

177;;  ! 

1788  Marsh,  Samuel  3 

1759  ! 

1763  Marsh,  Solomon  2 

1810  ! 

29 

Marsh,  Th  omas  1 
Mason,  John   1 
Mason,  Jonathan  5 
Mason,  Joseph  2 
McNeile,  Alexander  4 
McNeile,  Archibald,  Jr.  2 
McNiele,  Isaac  4 
McNeile,  Samuel  2 
Merwin,  Samuel  A.  3 
Mitchell,  Nathan  1 
Moody,  A  don  ij  ah  2 
Morris,  James  3 
Morris,  James  Jr.  1 
Moss,  Amos  1 
Moss,  David  1 
Moss,  Levi  3 
Moss,  Philo  1 
Northrop,  A.  1 
Norton,  Miles  10 
Osborn,  Eliada  1 
Osborn,  Jacob  3 
Osborn,  Jeremiah  2 
Osborn,  John  6 
Osborn,  John  Jr  2 
Parker,  Joseph  2 
Page,  David  2 

Palmer,  Ambrose  4 

Parmelce,  Amos  2d,  2 

Parmelee,  Jehiel  4 

Parmelee,  Thomas  2 

Parmelee,  Thomas  jr.  1 

Parsons,  Eliphaz  1 

Philips,  Gideon  1 

Phelps,  Edward  Jr.  1 

Phelps,  John   1 

Phelps,  Samuel  Jr.  2 

Pierpont,  James  3 

Plumb,  E.  2 

Plumb,  Samuel 

Prindle,  Mark  1 

Ranney,  Stephen  1 

Ray,  David  1 

Reeve,  Tapping  1 

Riley,  James  1 

Rowe,  Daniel  1 

Russell,  Stephen  3 

Sanford,  Ebenezer  1 

Sanford,  Jonah  1 

Sanford,  Oliver  5 

Sanford,  Simeon  2 


IITSTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 


1779  Sanford,  Solomon  1 
L765  Sanford,  Stephen  1 
17'.i.")  Sanford,  Stephen  2d  4 
1818   Seymour,  Cliavles  1 
1771  Seymour,  Moses  6 
1800  Seymour,  Moses  Jr.  2 
lso:;   Seymour,  Ozias2 

1781  Sheldon,  Samuel  1 

1782  Shether,  Samuel  1 
1798  Skinner,  Roger  2 

1778  Skinner,  Timothy  3 

1779  Smedley,  Ephraim  Jr.  1 

1783  Smedley,  Gideon  1 

1796  Smedley,  Nathan  3 

1797  Smith,  Aaron  3 
17G7  Smith,  Charles  3 
1788  Smith,  Charles  2 

1780  Smith,  Eli  2 

1805  Smith,  Hicks  1 
17119  Smith,  John  1 
1762  Smith,  Nathaniel  1 
1790  Smith,  Nathaniel  2d,  6 
1817  Smith,  Simeon   2 
1807  Smith,  Solomon  1 
1752  Smith,    Stephen  2 

1781  Stanley,  Frederick  1 

1806  Spencer,  Samuel  W.  2 
1768  Stewart,  Nathan  2 
1795  Stewart,  William  1 

1809  Stoddard,  Briant  Jr.  5 

1778  Stoddard,  Daniel  4 
1817  Stoddard,  Enos  1 

1774  Stoddard,  John  1 
1785   Stoddard,  James    6 

1779  Stone,  Heber  3 

1810  Stone,  Noah  2d,  1 

1775  Stone,  Reuben  3 
1799  Stone,  Thomas  1 


1816  Stone,  Solomon  1 
1764  Stone,  Stephen  3 
1773   Strong,  Jedediah  6 
1720   Strong,  Supply  8 
1790  Tallmadge,  Benjamin  1 

1775  Taylor,  Zebulon  1 
1799  Tomlinson,  Noah  1 
1782  Tracy,  Uriah  6 

1809  Trowbridge,  Thomas  1 

1804  Trumbull,  Ezekiel  1 
1808  Turner,  Isaac  5 
1802  Turner,  Thomas  1 

1813  Wadsworth,  Henry  2 
1785  Wallace,  Richard  2 
1792  Waugh,  James  2 
1790  Waugh,  Samuel  4 
1746  Webster,  Benjamin  7 

1814  Webster,  Claudius  1 
1766  Webster,  Timothy  1 
1766  Webster,  Justus  2 
1766  Welch,  David  2 
1788  Welch,  John  3 

1808  WesseUs,  George  B.  1 

1776  Wetmore,  Joseph  1 
1785  Whittlesey,  Roger  N. 

1805  Wilmot,  John  2 
1810  Woodruff,  Enoch  J,  3 
1746  Woodruff,  Jacob  4 
1813  Woodruff,  James  2 
1807  Woodruff,  Morris  2 
1728  Woodruff,  Nathaniel  ; 
1804  Woodruff  William  1 
1813  Wooster,  Henry  1 
1792  Wolcott,  Frederick  4 
1779  Wright,  Jonathan  3 
1817  Wright,  Samuel  1 
1758  Vaill,  Joseph  3 

1807  Vaill,  Benjamin  2 


*#*  The  offices  of  Assessor  and  Board  of  Relief  were  treated  by  the  Constitu- 
tion of  1818 — at  which  date  the  office  of  Lister  terminated.  The  lists  of  Select- 
men, Constables  and  Grand  Jurors  are  designed  to  embrace  all  who  have  been 
chosen,  from  the  organization  of  the  town  in  1721  to  the  present  time — with  the 
year  of  the  first  election  of  each,  and  the  number  of  times  each  was  elected. 


ASSESSORS. 

ASSESSORS. 

1857  Ames,  William  B.  1 

1851 

1830  Beebe,  William  1 

1852 

1836  Benton,  David  2 

1841 

1838  Benton,  D.  L.  2 

1819  Birge,  Jam 

1840 

1823  Birge,  Joseph  1 

1844 

1836  Birge,  Harvey  2 

1854 

1845  Booth,  Charles  1 

is  29 

1833  Bnel,  Frederick  5 

1823  Bnel,  Salmon  4 

1857 

1840  Bucl,  Samuel  1 

1849 

1846  Bnel,  William  R.  1 

1847 

1846  Bunnell,  EphraiiiiK. 3 

1819 

1841  Burgess,  Junius  4 

1841 

1827  Catlin,  Levi  2 

1843 

1836  Clemens,  Abel  II  2 

1846 

1851  Coe,  Walter  1 

1841 

1858  Cooke.  Georg 

1841 

2  Cooke,  Roger  1 

1827 

1830  Curtis,  Eli  7 

1855 

1857  Curtis,  George  2 

1823 

1845  Emons,  Ethiel  1 

1857 

1836  Ensign,  Samuel  M.  1 

1835 

1853  Ford,  Royal  A.  1 

1829 

1852  French,  Asahel  1 

1819 

1849  Prisbie,  Henry  1 

1834 

1  Prisbie,  Levi  3 

1852 

1838  Prisbie,  Sherman  3 

1847 

1858  Fuller,  Cyrus  S.  1 

1855 

1855  Garnsey,  George  2 

1833 

1840  Garnsey,  John  1 

1853 

1838  Garnsey,  Noah  2 

1S43 

1849  Gibbs,  Frederick  2 

1847 

1827  Gilbert,  Aaron  C. 

1853 

1831  Goslee,  Chester  C.  1 

1843 

1838  Goslee,  Henry  R.  3 

1834 

1851  Griswold,  Henry  S.  2 

1828 

1849  Griswold,  Lyman  2 

1849  Hall,  Alanson  2 

1851 

1819  Hall,  Ephraim  S.  9 

1836 

1846  Hall.  Norman  1 

1840 

1839  Hopkins,  Edward  1 

227 


Hopkins,  Wm.  L.  1 
Hull,  Eben  1 
Jones,  Charli 
Keeler,  Daniel  1 
Kenney,  Leonard  1 
Landon,  Sherman  2 
Moulthrop,  E.  P.  1 
Marsh,  David  5 
Merwin,  Samuel  M  1 
Morey,  Augustus  2 
Morse,  Jacob,  Jr  1 
Moss,  Lewis  11. 
Moss,  Philo  7 
Newton,  Ransom  2 
Newton,  William  2 
Oviatt,  John  A.  1 

a  .  Ithamar  ;5 
Peek,  Sidney  2 
Pickett,  Puifus  1 
Pierpont,  Andrew  J.  2 
Pierpont,  James  M.  2i 
Potter,  Garry  G.  2 
Ray,  William  1 
Russell,  Stephen  1 
Seymour.  Samuel  9 
Skilton,  Henry  1 
Smedley.  Frederick  1 
Smith,  Anson  C.  4 
Smith,  George  A.  2 
Smith.  Simeon  1 
Steele,  Henry  1 
Stoddard, Daniel  B.I 
Stone,  Truman  1 
Taylor,  Uri  1 
Tompkins,  Lucius 
Tuttle,  William  2 
Webster,  Reuben  1 
Wheeler,  Christopher  t 
Wheeler,  Charles  D.  3 
Wells,  Tomlinson  4 
Whittlesey,  Frederick  1 
Woodward,  S.  P.  1 


:28 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 


BOARD  OF  RELIEF. 


1841 

Abernetliy,  Elisha  S.  1 

1841 

1844 

A.mes,  Rufus  2 

1835 

1829 

Bacon,  Asa  1 

1851 

1839 

Baldwin,  Nehemiah  2 

1846 

1838 

Barber,  Elizur  1 

1831 

1838 

Barnard,  Benton  2 

1846 

1838 

Bassett,  William  1 

1841 

1840 

Beach,  Theron  1 

1837 

1845 

Beckwith,  Josiah  G.  1 

1842 

1829 

Beebe,  William  2 

1857 

1847 

Benton,  David  2 

1847 

1853 

Birge,  Chester  G.  1 

1S49 

1837 

Birge,  Joseph  Jr.  1 

1819 

1840 

Bissell,  Nathaniel  1 

1840 

1851 

Bissell,  William  2 

1837 

1834 

Bolles,  Samuel  P.  2 

1838 

1836 

Bost  wick,  Joel  1 

1849 

1838 

Braman,  Samuel  G.  2 

1853 

1844 

Brooker,  Samuel  Jr.  1 

1845 

1839 

Buel,  George  S.  1 

1850 

1819 

Buel,  Jonathan  9 

1842 

1858 

Clarke,  Alvah  1 

1849 

J81G 

Coe,  William  2 

1845 

1828 

Cooke,  Roger  1 

1847 

1836 

Curtis,  Eli  1 

184G 

1841 

Curtis,  Garner  B.  5 

1828 

1842 

Dewey,  George  1 

1837 

1854 

Ford,  Royal  A. 

1841 

1828 

Garnsey,  John  1 

1828 

1823 

Garrett,  Daniel  6 

1835 

1847 

Gibba,  Frederick  2 

1845 

1853 

Gilbert,  George  1 

1849 

1832 

Goodwin,  Oliver  2 

1858 

1853 

Griswold,  Darius  P.  1 

1819 

1846 

Griswold,  Henry  S.  1 

1855 

1849 

Griswold,  Lucius  2 

1837 

1853 

Griswold,  Lyman  S.  1 

1854 

1841 

Guild,  Albin  3 

1840 

1836 

Guild,  Gad  1 

1836 

1855 

Guild,  P.  Gould  4 

1819 

1847 

Guild,  Jeremiah  2 

1844 

Hall,  Alanson  4 
Hall,  David  1 
Hall,  Norman  1 
Hand,  Hiram  J.  4 
Harrison,  Elihu  1 
Hopkins,  Edward  1 
Hopkins,  Wm.  L.  1 
Jones,  Cahrles  1 
Kilbourn,  Putnam  3 
Kilbourn,  William  P. 
Landon,  Abner  2 
Lord,  William  1 
Marsh,  David  11 
Marsh,  Aaron  1 
Merwin,  Samuel  M.  1 
Moss,  Stephen  2 
Moss,  Linus  G.  3 
Loveland,  James  L.  1 
Newton,  William  1 
Odell,  William  1 
Pickett,  Alanson  J.  1 
Pickett,  Rufus  2 
Page,  Ithamar  1 
Pierpont,  Edward  4 
Potter,  Miner  1 
Russell,  Stephen  2 
Stoddard,  Enos  1 
Stoddard,  Harmon  1 
Sanford,  Simeon  4 
Skilton,  Henry  1 
Stone,  Truman  1 
Stone,  Willis  2 
Taylor,  Phineas  1 
Welch,  John  9 
Wells,  Tomlinson  3 
Westover,  David  3 
Whiting,  Jason  1 
Whittlesey,  Jabez  1 
Wilmot,  Eli  1 
Woodruff,  Morris  12 
Wright,  Samuel  1 


GRAND    JURORS. 


229 


GRAND  JURORS. 


1810 

Adams,  Elijah  2 

1770 

1802 

Adams,  Joseph  6 

1833 

1777 

Allen,  Cornelius L 

1776 

1740 

Allen,  Daniel  1 

L804 

1727 

Allen,  Nehemiah  1 

1756 

1788 

Allen,  John  1 

1817 

1858 

Alvord,  Chauacsy  II.  1 

1839 

1837 

Ames,  Kuf'us  3 

1813 

1852 

Ames,  William  B  1 

1855 

1779 

At  water,  Abel  2 

1786 

1808 

Baldwin,  Abner  1 

1728 

1739 

Baldwin,  David  Jr.  4 

1725 

1782 

Baldwin.  Is;mc  Jr.  2 

1723 

1812 

Baldwin,  Isaac  1 

1786 

1826 

Baldwin,  Harmon  1 

1851 

?733 

Baldwin,  Nathaniel  1 

1818 

1779 

Baldwin,  Phineas  5 

1803 

1734 

Baldwin,  Samuel  1 

1821) 

1780 

Baldwin,  Stephen  1 

1792 

1803 

Baldwin,  James  1 

1811 

1800 

Baldwin,  William  1 

1826 

1807 

Bacon,  Asa  1 

1812 

1779 

Barnard,  Samuel  1 

1773 

1754 

Barns,  Abel  1 

1740 

1772 

Barns,  Enos  1 

1755 

1791 

Barns,  Enos  Jr,  1 

1809 

1743 

Barns,  Daniel  1 

1770 

1844 

Beach,  George  1 

1840 

1825 

Beach,  Enos  1 

1817 

1838 

Beach,  Isaac  C.  1 

1782 

1778 

Beach,  Laban  1 

1799 

1773 

Beach,  Miles  2 

1768 

1789 

Beard,  Lewis  1 

1804 

1781 

Beeber  Bezaleel  1 

1751 

1735 

Beebe,  James  1 

1837 

1807 

Beebe,  William  2 

1788 

1836 

Benedict,  Andrew  4 

1830 

1820 

Benton,  Amos  1 

1839 

1833 

Benton,  David  5 

1838 

1772 

Benton,  Ehenezer  1 

1779 

1808 

Benton,  Ebenezer  jr  .2 

1827 

1780 

Benton,  Nathaniel  1 

1799 

1793 

Bidwell,  Elijah  1 

1853 

1778 

Bidwell,  Stephen  1 

1846 

1807 

Bidwell,  Stephen  3 

1785 

1801 

Bishop,  Amos  4 

Bishop,  Noah  2 
Bishop,  Samuel  1 
Bishop,  Seth  1 
Bishop,  Sylvanus  1 
Bissell,  Isaac  1 
Bissell,  John  1 
Bissell,  Harmon  2 
Bissell,  Nathaniel  2 
Bissell,   William  1 
Birge,  James  2 
Birge,  Joseph  4 
Bird,  John  1 
Bird,  Joseph  1 
Bird,  Seth  1 
Blake,  Edward  W  1 
Blakeslee,  Isaiah  1 
Bolles,  Ebenezer  5 
Bolles,  Eben  W.  5  ] 
Bradley,  Aaron  1 
Bradley,  Comfort  1 
Bradley,  Elilm  1 
Bradley,  Joseph  1 
Bradley,  Learning  2 
Bradley,  Phineas  2 
Bradley.  Zina  1 
Brace,  James  2 
Buel(  Archelus  1 
Buel,  Andrew  1 
Buel,  Charles  S.  1 
Buel,  David  1 
Buel,  Norman  5 
Bud,  Peter  1 
Buel,  Salmon  2 
Buel,  Solomon  2 
Bulkley,  David  C.  2 
Bull,  Asa  2 
Burgess,  Ezra  2 
Burgess,  Junius  2 
Bunnell,  Ephraim  K.  1 
Camp,  Abel  jr.  3  ■ 
Camp,  Ralph  G.  2 
Catlin,  Alxd  2d,  2 
Catlin,  Henry  1 
Catlin,  John  1 
Catlin,  Theodore  1 


230 


HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 


17G9  Catlin,  Uriah  1 
1731   Catlin,  John  -1 
1737   Catlin,  Thomas  2 
Carter,  Samuel  1 
17G1    Chamberlain,  Moses  1 
1793   Chase,  Lot  1 
1813   Clark,  Peck  1 
184G  Clock.  Samuel  1 
1831   Coe,  Walter  1 
1771    Collins,  Charles  1 
1783   Collins,  John  1 
1721   Colkins,  John  1 
177G  Comstock,  Calvin  2 
1789   Crampton,  Elon  1 
1757   Culver,  Benjamin  2 
1753   Culver.  Nathaniel  1 
1825   Curtis,  Eli  2 
1852   Curtis,  Garner  B.  1 
185G   Curtis,  Levi  1 
1800  Dare,  George  1 

1782  Deming,  Julius  1 
1831  Dewey,  George 
1775   Dickinson,  Reuben    1 
1807  Dodge,  Stephen  1 
1791  Doolittle.  Benjamin  1 

1757  Easton,  Eliphalet  1 
1775   Ernons,  Arthur  1 
1786  Emons,  Phineas  2 
1781  Emons,  Russell  1 
1846   Ensign,  Charles  A.  1 
1811   Ensign,  Isaac  2 
1780  Ensign,  Samuel  1 
1807   Ensign,  Samuel  jr.  2 
1778  Farnham,  Gad  1 
1819   Farnham,  John  2 
1855  Farnham,  Leman  H. 
17G8  Farnham,  Seth  2 
1804  Foote,  Timothy  1 
1858   Fuller,  Cyrus  S.  1 

1783  Galpin,  Amos  3 
1841    Garnsey,  Edward  3 
1854   Garnsey,  John  1 
1771    Garnsey,  Noah  1 
1830  Garnsey,  Noah  3 
1822   Garrett',  Daniel  1 
174«  Garrett,  Joshua  2 
L788   Garrett,  Joshua  2 
1726  Gay,  John  1 

1758  Gibbs,  Benjamin  3 
1780   Gibbs,  Benjamin  jr.  1 


1832  Gibbs,  Birdsey  1 
1780   Gibbs,  Caleb  2 
1844  Gibbs,  Frederick  1 

1751  Gibbs,  Henry  2 
1778  Gibbs,  Lemuel  1 

1805  Gibbs,  Medad  1 

1799  Gibbs,  Moor  1 
179G  Gibbs,  Noah  1 
1835  Gibbs,  Willis  3 
1771   Gibbs,  Zebulon  1 

1854  Gibbud,  Harris  B.  1 
1802   Gilbert,  Calvin    1 

1855  Gilbert,  George  1 
1808   Gilbert,  James  3 
LS58   Gilbert,  William  II.  1 
1731   Goodwin,  Abraham  1 
1811  Goodwin,  Erastus  1 

1806  Goodwin,  Medad  1 

1801  Gould,  James  1 

1800  Grannis,  G.  2 
18U4   Grannis,  Robert  1 

1808  Grannis,  Thomas  1 
181 G   Grant,  Charles  1 

1752  Grant,  Ebenezer  1 
1747  Griswold,  Elijah  2 

1838  Griswold,  Henry  S.  1 

1802  Green,  Samuel  1 
1724  Griswold,  Jacob  1 
1820  Griswold,  Benjamin  8 

1810  Griswold,  John  1 

1811  Griswold,  Julius  2 
1847   Griswold,  Lucius  1 

1809  Grove,  Thomas  F.  1 
is 20   Guild,  Gad  2 

1851   Guild,  Jeremiah  4 
1842  Hall,  Alanson  2 
1824  Hall,  David  4 
17G5    Hall,  Benjamin  1 
1760  Hall,  Gilbert  1 

1839  Hall,  Norman  2 

1801  Harrison,  Elias  1 
1775   Harrison,  Elibu  1 
1770  Harrison,  Ephraimjl 
1760  Harrison,  Gideon  1 
1713   Hibbard,  Reuben  1 
1801    Hinsdale,  Elias  1 
1799   Holmes,  Uriel  1 
1822   Hopkins,  Asa  2 
1795  Hopkins,  Joseph  II  3 
1S20   Hopkins,  Orange- 1 


GRAND    JURORS. 


231 


1813  Horton,  Elisha  2 
1730  Hosford,  Benjamin  1 
1759  Hosford,  David  2 

1810  Hoyt,  Levi  1 
1823  Hubbard,  Jacob  2 
1847  Hull,  Eben  2 
1849  Humaston,  A.  P.  2 
1849   Humaston,  Noah  1 

1819  Huinphreville,  Albro  M.  1 
1847  Humphreville,  L,  1 

1811  Huntington,  Daniel  1 
1842  Johnson,  Horace  3 
1833  Jones,  Charles  1 

1780  Judd,  Jesse  1 

1761   Kilbourn,  Abraham  1 

1781  Kilbourn,  David  3 
1753  Kilbourn,  Elisha  1 
1789   Kilbourn,  Jacob  4 
1801   Kilbourn,  James  1 
1799   Kilbourn,  Jeremiah  1 
1773  Kilbourn,  Jesse  2 
173"   Kilbourn,  Joseph  2 
1742   Kilbourn,  James  1 
1798  Kilbourn,  Levi  2 
1793   Kilbourn,  Lewis  1 
1827  Kilbourn,  Norman  4 

1830  Kilbourn,  Putnam  3 
1825   Keeler,  Daniel  1 
1780  King,  David  1 
1779   Kirby,  Ephraim  2 
1809   Lamson,  Daniel  7 
1844  Landon,  Abner  1 
1746  Landon,  Daniel  4 
1776  Landon,  Daniel  jr.  1 
1765   Landon,  David  1 
1737   Landon,  James  1 
1785  Landon,  Nathan  3 
1778  Landon,  Seth  3 

1803  Landon,  Seth  jr,  2 

1831  Landon,  Sherman  1 

1804  Law,  Benedict  A.   1 
184(3  Law,  Willis  1 
1727  Lee,  Thomas  1 
1798  Lewis,  Daniel  W.  1 
1808  Lewis,  Luke  2 
1773   Lewis,  Ozias  4 
1815  Lewis,  Ozias  jr.  4 
1755  Linsley,  Abel  1 
1775   Linsley,  Edward  1 
1757   Linsley,  Joseph  3 


1854  Lord,  William  1 
1817  Loveland,  Clark  1 
1856  Loveland,  James  L.  1 

1844  Loveland,  Lewis  1 
1840  Loveland,  Nathanii 
1813  Mansfield,  John  1 

1804  Marsh,  Elisha  1 
177ii  Mar.-li,  Ebenezer  1 
1798   Marsh.  James  4 

17  17   Marsh,  John  3 
1771  Marsh,  John  1 

1801  Marsh,  Jonathan  1 

1802  Marsh,  Isaac  1 

1805  Marsh,  Ozias  1 
1790  Marsh,  Roger  jr.  1 

1848  Mar3h,  Linus  5 

1849  Marsh,  Solomon  2d,  2 
1804  Marsh,  Thomas  1 
1735  Marsh,  William  4 
1751    McNeill',  Alexander    1 
1842  Mase,  Solomon  1 
1796  Mason,  Elisha  2 
1715  Mason,  Joseph  1 

1756  Mason,  Joseph   jr.  1 
1844  Meafoy,  Lemuel  O.  1 
1837  Merriman,  Reuben  1 
1844  Merwin,  Samuel  A.  1 
1823  Merwin,  Sajpuel  M.  3 
1834  Morey,  Augustus  1 
1880   Morris,  Anil  1 
1774  Moss,  Amos  2 

1836  Moss,  Jacob  1 

1840  Moss'.  James  II.  1 

1786  Moss,  John  1 

1783  Moss,  Levi  1 

1856  Newbury,  Joseph  A.  3 

1810  Norton,  Ambrose  1 

1802  Norton,  Mil 

1815  Moulthrop,  William  1 

1725  Norton.  Samuel  2 

1757  Orton,  Samuel  jr.  1 
1738  Osborn,  Benjamin  1 
17.";!)  Osborn,  Benjamin  jr.  1 
1801  Osborn,  Eliada  1 
1790  Osborn,  Jacob  2 
1757  Osborn,  John  3 

1784  Page,  Jonathan  1 
1840  Palmer,  Christop! 
1793  Parker,  Joseph  2 

1785  Parmelee,  Amos  1 


232 


SELECTMEN  OF  LITCHFIELD. 


1775  Parmelee,  Jehiel  1 

1845 

17o2   Parmelee,  Jonathan  1 

1791 

1774  Peck,  Aliijan  1 

1817 

177l'  Peck,  Benjamin  3 

1821 

1788  Peck,  Elijah  1 

180tf 

185-2  Perkins,  Charles  L.  3 

1750 

17-10   Phelps,  Edward  1 

1798 

1760  Phelps,,  Edward  jr.  1 

1758 

1808  Pickett,  Ebenezer  2 

1856 

1820   Pickett,  Kuf'iis  4 

1786 

1725  Pier,  Thomas  1 

1791 

1700  Pierce,  John  5 

1816 

1848  Pierpont,  Andrew  J.  2 

1803 

1795  Pierpont,  James  3 

1833 

1829   Pierpont,  James  M.  1 

1806 

1744  Plumb,  Ezra  2 

1826 

1851  Pond,  Seth  1 

1853 

1787   Potter,  Israel  1 

1798 

1855  Pratt,  Francis  H.  4 

1732 

1755  Prindle,  Mark  2 

1783 

1797  Ray,  William  1 

1823 

1776  Riggs,  Jeremiah  5 

1806 

1723  Root,  Samuel  1 

1817 

1744  Rossiter,  Jonathan  2 

1829 

1804  Sanford,  Daniel  1 

1770 

1821   Sanford,  David  C.  2 

1770 

1738  Sanford,  Joseph  1 

1816 

1774  Sanford,  Jonah  1 

1761 

1775  Sanford,  Moses  1 

1795 

1827  Sanford,  Nathan  2 

1836 

1773  Sanford,  Oliver  1 

1771 

1793  Sanford,  Stephen  2d,  1 

1749 

1823  Seymour,  Charles  1 

1727 

1826  Seymour,  Origen  S.  2 

1736 

1790  Seymour,  Samuel  4 

1761 

1805  Seymour,  Ziba  2 

1836 

1857  Sharp,  Homer  2 

1755 

1797  Skinner,  Roger  2 

1781 

1775  Skinner,  Timothy  2 

1833 

1756  Smedley,  Ephraim  4 

1803 

1782  Smedley,  Gideon  1 

1806 

1806  Smedley,  Nathan  1 

1797 

179G  Smith,  Aaron  1 

1803 

1762  Smith,  Abiel  1 

1815 

]*VJ  Smith,  Anson  C.  2 

1837 

1771  Smith,   Charles  1 

1780 

1784  Smith,  Charles  jr,  1 

1771 

1781  Smith,  Eli  3 

1804 

1796  Smith,  Jacob  jr.  2 

1752 

1755  Smith,  Josiah  1 

1835 

Smith,  Nathan   D- 
Smith,  Nathaniel  2,!,  1 
Smith,  Reuben  1 
Smith,  Simeon  1 
Smith,  Solomon  1 
Smith,  Stephen  4 
Spencer,  Samuel  W.  1 
Stanley,  Timothy  .jr.  1 
Stephens,  Seymour  1 
Stewart,  Nathan  2 
Stoddard,  Briant  2 
Stoddard,  Briant  jr.  1 
Stoddard,  Daniel  1 
Stoddard,  Daniel  B.  1 
Stoddard,  Gideon  1 
Stoddard,  Plarmou  1 
Stoddard,  Homer  3  j 
Stoddard,  James  1 
Stoddard,  Moses  2 
Stoddard,  Moses  2 
Stone,  Alvah  4 
Stone,  James  2 
Stone,  John  1 
Stone,  Leman  1 
Stone,  Noah  1 
Stone,  Reuben  1 
Stone,  Solomon  1 
Stone,  Stephen  2 
Stone,  Thomas  3 
Stone,  Willis  1 
Strong,  Asahel  1 
Strong,  Josiah  2 
Strong,  Supply  2 
Sutliff,John  1 
Taylor,  Ebenezer  1 
Taylor,  Phineas  1 
Taylor,  Zebulon  1 
Thomas,  Joseph  1 
Trowbridge,  Stephen  3 
Trowbridge,  Thomas  3 
Todd,  Ebenezer  1 
Todd,  Eli  1 
Tuttle,  Nathan   1 
Turner,  Jacob  1 
Turner,  Lncius  S.  1 
Turner,  Titus   1 
Try  on,  John  1 
Vaill,   Benjamin  1 
Vaill,  Joseph  2 
Warner,  A.  W.  1 


PROSECUTING    ATTORN  1 ES. 


233 


1821  Warren,  Horace  1 

17f)G  Warner,  Reuben  2 

1800  Ward,  William  1 
1791  Washburn,  William  3 
1807  Waugh,  James  1 
1754  Waugh,  Robert  2 

1801  Waugh,  Samuel  3 
1787  Wadsworth,  Elijah  1 
1728  Walker,  Josiah  1 
1734  Webster,  Benjamin  2 
1777  Webster,  Benjamin  1 
1807  Webster,  Claudius  1 
1839  Webster,  Lyman  1 

1 8fi4  Webster,  Reuben  1 

1763  Wlch,  David  2 

1819  Welch,  Garry  P.  1 

1837  Wetmore,  Elihu  2 

1782  Wetmore,  Joseph  1 


1835  Whittlesey,  Frederick  1 
1839  Whittlesey,  Jabez  1 
1777  Whittle  sey,  Roger  N.  5 
1857  Wheeler,  Charles  D.  1 

1847  Williams,  Robert  2 
1808  Wilmot,  Eli   1 
1787  Woodcock,  Samuel  3 
1851   Woodruff,  Edward  4 
1816  Woodruff,  Enoch  J.  3 
1828  Woodruff,  George  C.  3 
1794  Woodruff,  James,  1 
1753  Woodruff,  Benjamin  1 
1703  Woodruff,  Charles  2 
1812  Webster,  Truman  2 
1758  Woodruff,  Nathaniel  1 
1808  Wooster,  Lemuel  1 
179 1   Wright,  Jonathan  2d  3 
1767  Wessells,  Lawrence  4 


JJroeccutinn   Slttormcs 
FOR  THE  COUNTY  OF  LITCHFIELD 

[king's  attornies.] 

Samuel  Pettibone,  Goshen. 
J.  Whitney,  Canaan. 
Reynold  Marvin,  Litchfield. 
Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield. 

[state's  attornies.] 
Andrew  Adams,  Litchfield. 
Tap] ting  Reeve,  Litchfield. 
John  Canfield,  Sharon. 
John  Allen,  Litchfield. 
Uriah  Tracy,  Litchfield. 
Daniel  W.  Lewis,  Litchfield. 
Uriel  Holmes,  Jr.,  Litchfield. 
Elisha  Sterling,  Salisbury. 
Seth  P.  Beers,  Litchfield. 
Samuel  Church,  Salisbury  (and  Litchfield.) 
Lcman  Church.,  Canaan. 

David  C.  Sanford,  N.  Milford  (and  Litchfield.) 
John  H.  Hubbard,  Salisbury  (and  Litchfield.) 
Julius  B.  Harrison,  New  Milford. 
Gideon  Hall,  Winchester. 
Charles  F.  Sedgwick,  Sharon,  (now  in  office.) 


30 


234 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 


Corporations  in  Citdjficlo. 


PHCENIX  BRANCH  BANK. 


[Incorporated  in  1814.] 

PRESIDENTS. 


Benjamin  Tallmadge 
James  Gould 
Asa  Bacon 
Theron  Beach 
George  C.  Woodruff 


CASHIERS. 


James  Butler 
Austin  Kilbourn 
Henry  A.  Perkins 
Charles  Spencer 
Theron  Beach 
Gustavus  F.  Davis 
Henry  R.  Coit 


1814 
1826 

1833 
184G 

1852 

1814 
1821 

1826 
1828 
1838 
1839 
1851 


12 

7 

14 

G 


7 
5 

2 

10 

1 

12 


DIRECTORS. 

[From  1814  to  1859 — in  the  order  of  their  election.  | 


Benjamin  Tallmadge 
Frederick  Wolcott 
Aaron  Smith 
James  Gould 
Henry  Wadsworth 
Elisha  Sterling 
Solomon  Rockwell 
Morris  Woodruff 
Samuel  Buel 
Seth  P.  Beers 
Joseph  Battell 
Ithamer  Canfield 
William  Buel 
Jabez  W.  Huntington 
David  Foot 
Erastus  Hodges 
Charles  L.  Webb 
David  S.  Boardman 
Erastus  Lyman 
Daniel  Bacon 
Ozias  Seymour 
Asa  Bacon 
David  C.  Sanford 
Origen  S.  Seymour 


Samuel  P.  Bolles 
Seth  Thomas 
Theron  Beach 
Elihu  Harrison 
John  C.  Coffing 
Charles  Deming 
George  C.  Woodruff 
William  C.  Sterling 
E.  Champion  Bacon 
Benjamin  Deforest 
Oliver  Goodwin 
Gustavus  F.  Davis 
Lemuel  Hurlbut 
John  Deforest 
David  C.  Whittlesey 
Jason  Whiting 
Gideon  H.  Hollister 
William  H.  Thompson 
Samuel  Church 
Henry  W.  Buel 
Edward  W.  Sey mom- 
David  L.  Parmelee 
Abraham  C.  Smith 


OFFICERS   OF   BANKS   IN   LITCHFIELD.  235 

LITCHFIELD  SAYINGS  BANK. 


[Incorprated  in 

1850.] 

PRESIDENTS. 

George  0.  Woodruff 
Josiah  G.  Beckwith 
Edwin  B.  Webster 

1850 
1853 

1856 

3 

3 

VICE  PRESIDENTS. 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 
Josiah  G.  Beckwith 
Samuel  P.  Bolles 
Stephen  Trowbridge 
Jason  Whiting 

1850 

1851 
1853 
1856 
1858 

1 
2 

3 

2 

SECRETARIES  AND  TREASURERS. 
Gustavus  F.  Davis  1850  1 

Samuel  P.  Bolles  1851  1 

Henry  R.  Coit  1852  — 

DIRECTORS. 

[From  1850  to  1859 — in  the  order  of  their  election.] 

Seth  P.  Beers  Oliver  Goodwin 

Charles  L.  Webb  William  F.  Baldwin 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith  Jason  Whiting 

Charles  Adams  Frederick  D.  McNiel 

Edwin  B.  Webster  Jesse  L.  Judd 

Theron  Beach  Abraham  C.  Smith 

Gideon  H.  Hollister  Chauncey  M.  Hooker 
Henry  W.  Buel. 


LITCHFIELD  BANK, 

[Incorporated  in  1856— organized  in  1857.] 


PRESIDENTS. 
William  H.  Crossman  1857 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith  1858 

CASHIERS. 
Edward  L.  Houghton  1857 

Frederick  E.  Harrison         1858 


RECEIVERS,  J£Th^: 


286  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

LITCHFIELD  MUTUAL  FIRE  INSURANCE  COMPANY. 


[Incorporated 

in  1833.1 

PRESIDENTS. 

Phincas  Miner 
William  Buel 
"William  Beebe 
Josiah  G.  Beckwith 

1833 

1835 
1841 
1851 

2 

6 

10 


SECRETARIES. 

Leonard  Goodwin  1833  1 

Sylvester  Galpin  1834  7 

Jason  Whiting  1841  — 

TREASURERS. 

Oliver  Goodwin  1833  22 

George  C.  Woodruff  1855  — 

DIRECTORS. 

[From  1833  to  1859— in  the  order  of  their  election  ] 


Phineas  Miner  Jason  Whiting 

Oliver  Goodwin  Lewis  Smith 

Charles  L.  Webb  Lucius  Bradley 

Leonard  Goodwin  Israel  Coe 

Samuel  P.  Bolles  Stephen  Trowbridge 

Origen  S.  Seymour  William  Beebe 

Albert  Sedgwick  Samuel  G.  Braman 

George  C.  Woodruff  Josiah  G.  Beckwith 

Tomlinson  Wells  George  D.  Wadhams 

Sylvester  Galpin  William  II.  Thompson 

Jonathan  Carrington  Leman  W.  Cutler 

Apollus  Warner  David  C.  Whittlesey 

Wm.  M.  Burrall  Stephen  Doming 

David  C.  Sanford  Bobbins  Battell 

Frederick  Wolcott  A.  S.  Lewis 

William  Buel  Sheldon  Osborne 

Elihu  Harrison  Seth  P.  Beers 

Joseph  Adams  Abijah  Catlin 

Ebenezer  W.  Bolles  Charles  Adams 

John  M.  Holley  Philip  S.  Beebe 
Richard  Smith 


OFFICERS   OF   THE   LITCHFIELD    FEMALE    ACADEMY.  _    T 

LITCHFIELD  FEMALE  ACADEMY. 

[Incorporated  in  1=27.] 


PRESIDENTS. 

Frederick  Wolcott 

1827 

10 

William  Buel 

1837 

9 

Seth  P.  Beers 

1840 

8 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 

1854          decline 

Josiah  G.  Beck  with 

1854 

— 

SECRETARIES. 

Truman  Smith 

1827 

1 

.John  P.  Brace 

1828 

4 

Leonard  Goodwin 

1832 

3 

Elihu  Harrison 

1835 

2 

Origcn  S.  Seymour 

1837 

4 

Sylvester  Galpin 

1841 

3 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 

1844 

10 

Henry  R.  Coit 

1854- 

1 

Chauncey  Id.  Hooker 

1855 

— 

TREASURERS. 

William  Buel 

1827 

19 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith 

1846 

8 

Henry  W.  Buel 

1854 

— 

TRUSTEES. 

Frederick  "Wolcott 

Samuel  P.  Bolles 

James  Gould 

Sylvester  Galpin 

William  Buel 

Jason  Whiting 

Phincas  Miner 

J.  G.  Beckwith 

Seth  P.  Beers 

Albert  Sedgwick 

Jabez  W.  Huntington 

Charles  Adams 

Truman  Smith 

Gideon  H.  Hollister 

John  P.  Brace 

Henry  W.  Buel 

John  R.  Landon 

William  Deming 

Daniel  Sheldon 

Henry  R,  Coit 

Leonard  Goodwin 

David  E.  Bostwick 

Oliver  Goodwin 

Frederick  D.  McNiel 

Elihu  Harrison 

Chauncey  M.  Hooker 

Origen  S.  Seymour 

Stephen  Deming 

Samuel  Buel 

George  C.  Woodruff 

238  HISTORY    OP  LITCHFIELD. 

LITCHFIELD  COUNTY 
HISTORICAL  AND  ANTIdUARIAN  SOCIETY, 

[Incorporated  in  1856.] 


PRESIDENT. 

Seth  P.  Beers,  Litchfield,  1856  — 

VICE  PRESIDENTS. 

George  C.  Woodruff,  Litchfield,  1856  — 

John  Boyd,  Winchester,  1856  — 

Charles  F.  Sedgwick,  Sharon,  1856  — 

Abijah  Catlin,  Harwinton,  1856  — 

Charles  B.  Phelps,  Woodbury,  1856  dead. 

William  Cothren,  Woodbury,  1858  — 

SECRETARY. 

Payne  Kenyon  Kilbourn,  Litchfield,       1856         — 

TREASURER. 

Charles  Adams,  Litchfield,  1856        — 

AUDITOR, 
Edwin  B.  Webster,  Litchfield,  1856        — 

DIRECTORS. 
David  L.  Parmelee  George  C.  Woodruff 

Herman  L.  Vaill  James  Richards 

D.  E.  Bostwick  P.  K.  Kilbourn 

J.  G.  Beckwith. 


LITCHFIELD  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 


[Incorporated  in  1818.] 


OFFICERS  FOR  THE  YEAR  1858-'9 
PRFSIDFNT 

JOHN  M.  WADHAMS,  Goshen. 

VICE   PRESIDENTS, 

Royal  A.  Ford,  Litchfield. 
George  C.  Hitchcock,  Washington. 
Nathan  Hart,  Jr.,  Cornwall. 

CORRESPONDING   SECRETARY, 

J.  G.  Beckwith,  Litchfield. 

RECORDING   SECRETARY, 

William  F.  Baldwin,  Litchfield. 

TREASURER, 

E.  W.  Seymour,  Litchfield. 


OFFICERS,    ETC. 

LITCHFIELD  VIGILANT  SOCIETY. 

[Organized  in  1828.] 


239 


PRESIDENTS. 

Chosen. 

Stephen  Russell  1828 

Enos  Stoddard  1832 

Truman  Kilbourn  1834 

Norman  Kilbourn  183G 

Putnam  Kilbourn  1838 

Luraan  Bishop  1841 

Murray  Kenney  1844 

Daniel  B.  Stoddard  1848 

Prentice  Parkhurst  1849 

Willis  Stone  1850 

George  Kenney  1851 

William  P.  Kilbourn  1853 

Daniel  B.  Stoddard  1856 

Sherman  C.  Keeler  1857 

SECRETARIES. 
Enos  Stoddard  1828 

William  Coe  1832 

Willis  Stone  1837 

Leonard  Kenney  1839 

Lucius  Wilmot  1840 

Daniel  B.  Stoddard  1842 

Lucius  Wilmot  1844 

Henry  M.  Pratt  1849 

Edward  Woodruff  1851 

Homer  Stoddard  1854 

H.  L.  Kenney  1857 

TREASURERS. 
1828 
1833 
1834 
1837 
1839 
1841 
1842 
1844 
1849 
1854 
1857 


No.  years. 
"4 

•' 


William  Coe 
Putnam  Kilbourn 
Leonard  Kenney 
Daniel  B.  Stoddard 
Luman  Bishop 
Harmon  Stoddard 
Garry  G.  Potter 
Prentice  Parkhurst 
Daniel  B.  Stoddard 
David  Kenney 
George  Bradley 


240  HISTORY    OF   LITCHFIELD. 

institutions,   Societies,   etc. 


THE  ELM  PARK  COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE. 
gt  girartmtfl  School  far  gop. 

CI  >RNER  OF  NORTH  AND  PROSPECT  STREETS,  LITCHFIELD. 


Rev.  JAMES  RICHARDS,  D.  D.,  Superintendent. 

English  and  Philosophical  Teacher,  &  Lecturer  on  History  and  Physical  Geography. 


JAMES  RICHARDS,  Jr.,  A.  B., 

Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  and  Mathematics. 


D.  M.  COE, 

Assistant  Teacher  of  Mathematics. 


W.  POWELLE, 

Instructor  in  French. 


R.  YON  SCHMIEDEBERG, 
(of  Cornwall,) 

Instructor  in  German. 


•  BOARD  OF  VISITORS— 1859. 

G.  C.  Woodruff,  Cyrus  Catlin, 

Wm.  Deming,  P.  K.  Kilbourn, 

Henry  W.  Buel,  Charles  Adams. 


THE  W0LC0TT  INSTITUTE. 
gt  §oartring  Srbaol  for  fogs. 

SOUTH  STREET,  LITCHFIELD. 


Rey.  D.  G.  WRIGHT,  M.  A.,  Rector. 


OFFICERS  FOR  THE  YEAR  1859. 
Seth  P.  Beers,  President. 
Josiah  G.  Beckwith,  Secretary. 
Wm.  F.  Baldwin,  Treasurer. 
E.  B.  Webster, 
H.  N.  Hudson, 
Wm.  F.  Baldwin,  )>  Directors. 

J.  G.  Beckwith, 
E.  W.  Seymour, 


*  While  this  work  was  in  press,  Mr.  Wright  resigned.     The  vacancy  is  not  filled. 


SCHOOLS,    SOCIETIES,    ETC.  241 

THE  GOULD  SEMINARY. 
%  loathing  ano  pap  ^tbool  for  young  Jf afcto. 

North-street,  Litchfield. 


Miss  HARRIETTS  STYLES,  Principal. 
Miss  WOODWARD,  Assistant  Principal. 


SPEING  HILL, 

LITCHFIELD,    CONN. 

This  Institution  is  now  open  for  the  reception  of  patients  afflicted  with  Nervous 
Diseases. 

The  design  is  to  give  the  household  as  much  the  character  of  the  family  circle  as 
possible,  and  to  combine  with  this  the  most  thorough  medical  treatment  and  super- 
vision. 

The  retired  and  healthful  nature  of  the  situation  render,-  it  well  adapted  to  the  pur- 
pose, and  the  House  has  been  fitted  up  in  the  most  complete  manner  for  this  special 
object. 

Terms  according  to  the  accommodations  required  in  each  case. 

For  further  particulars,  enquiries  may  be  made  of 

II.  W.  BUEL,  M.  D. 


Connecticut  Mining  Company. 

[Office  in  Seymour's  Building,  South-street,  Litchfield.] 

Officers  for  1858-' 9.— (Capital  $200,000.) 

GEORGE  G.  WEST,  President. 
JOHN  W.  BUELL,  Secretary. 
H.  H.  K.  ELLIOTT,  Assistant  Secretary. 
I.  M.  ASHTON,  Treasurer. 

DIRECTORS. 

I.  W.  Mickel,  C.  R.  Moore, 

L.   Wheeler,  John  W.  Buell, 

W.  H.  Crossman,  H.  Daley, 

J.  S.  Fisher,  A.  B.  Curtiss, 

G.  G.  West. 


LITCHFIELD  COUNTY  MEDICAL  SOCIETY. 

President— II.  M.  KNIGHT,  M.  I).,  Salisbury. 

Secretary— D.  E.  BOSTWICK,  M.  D.,  Litchfield. 

_      •         (  D.  B.  W.  Camp,  M.  D.,  lS.r,s. 
1<,Uows'    \  George  Seymour,  M.  D.,  1859. 


31 


242 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 


Roll  of  Representatives  from  Litchfield. 


[First  represented  in  the  Legislature  in  1740.] 


1740. 

May. 

October. 

1741. 

May. 

October. 

1742. 

May. 

October. 

1743. 

May. 
October. 

1744. 

May. 

October. 

1745. 

May. 

2d. 

May. 

October. 

1746. 

May. 

October. 

1747. 

May. 
October. 

1748. 

May. 

October. 

1749. 

May. 
October. 

1750. 

May. 
October. 

1751. 

May. 

October. 

1752. 

May. 

October. 

1753. 

May. 

October. 

1754. 

May. 
October. 

1755. 

May. 

October. 

1756. 

May. 

October. 

1757. 

May. 
October. 

1758. 

May. 

October, 

1759. 

May. 

October. 

1760. 

May. 

October. 

1761. 

May. 
October. 

1762. 

May. 

October. 

1763. 

May. 

October. 

1764. 

May. 

October. 

17G5. 

May. 
October. 

1766. 

May. 

October. 

1767. 

May. 
October. 

1768. 

May. 

October. 

1769. 

May. 

October. 

1770. 

May. 

Joseph  Bird, 
John  Bird, 
Kbenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Edward  Phelps, 
Edward  Phelps, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Edward  Phelps, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Thomas  Harison, 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Joseph  Kilbourn, 
Joseph  Kilbourn, 
Thomas  Harrison, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Peter  Buel, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Jacob  Woodruff", 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Oliver  Wolcott, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Oliver  Wolcott, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
David  Welch, 


Ebenezer  Marsh. 
John  Buel. 
John  Buel. 
Samuel  Culver. 
Jacob  Griswold. 
Jacob  Griswold. 
John  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Joseph  Sanford. 
Joseph  Sanford. 
John  Bird. 
John  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Benjamin  Webster. 
Benjamin  Webster. 
Benjamin  Webster. 
Benjamin  Webster. 
Thomas  Harrison. 
Benjamin  Webster. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Peter  Buel. 
Peter  Buel. 
Peter  Buel. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Elisha  Shelden. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Oliver  Wolcott. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
John  Marsh. 
John  Marsh. 
John  Marsh. 
John  Marsh. 
Jacob  Woodruff. 
Abraham  Kilbourn. 
Abraham  Kilbourn. 
Abraham  Kilbourn. 


REPRESENTATIVES. 


243 


October. 

1771. 

May. 

October. 

1772. 

May. 

October. 

1773. 

May. 

October. 

1774. 

May. 

October. 

1775. 

May. 

October. 

1776. 

.May. 

October. 

1777. 

May. 

October. 

1778. 

May. 

October. 

1770. 

May. 

October. 

1780. 

May. 

October. 

1781. 

May. 

October. 

1782. 

May. 

October. 

1783. 

May. 

October. 

1784. 

May. 

October. 

1785. 

May. 

October. 

1786. 

May. 

October. 

1787. 

May. 

October. 

1788. 

May. 

October. 

1789. 

May. 

October. 

17'J0. 

May    • 

October. 

1791. 

May. 

( Ictober. 

1792. 

.May. 

October. 

1793. 

May. 

October. 

1794. 

May. 

October. 

1795. 

May. 

October. 

1796. 

May. 

October. 

1797. 

May. 

October. 

1798. 

May. 

October. 

1799. 

May. 

1800. 

May. 

October. 

1801. 

May. 

October. 

1802. 

May. 

October. 

1803. 

May. 

October. 

1804. 

May. 

October. 

Oliver  Wolcott, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
ah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  St 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  St. 
Jedediah  S: 
Jedediah  St. 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  St. 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
David  Welch 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Abraham  Bradley, 
Ebenezer  Harsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Ebenezer  Harsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Harsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Harsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Jedediah  Strong, 
Tapping  1.' 
Ebenezer  Marsh, 
Julius  Doming, 
Julius  Demi 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Solomon  Marsh, 
John  Allen, 
Bezale 

Ephraim  Kirby, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
M"-es  Seymour, 
Hoses  Seymour, 
Hoses  Seymour, 
Hoses  S.-vmour, 
Moses  Seymour, 
James  Morris, 

nour, 
Hoses  Seymour, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Ephraim  Kirby, 
Hoses  Seymour, 
Hoses  Seymour, 
James  Ho 
Hoses  Seymour, 
James  Hoi 
James  Horns, 
James  Morris, 
James  Morris, 


Abraham  Kilboum. 
John  Harsh. 

Lord. 
Lynde  Lord. 
John  Harsh. 
David  Welch. 
David  Welch. 
John  Marsh. 
David  Welch. 
David  Welch. 
Abraham  Bradley. 
Abraham  Bradley. 
Andrew  Adam-. 
Andrew  Adam-. 
Andrew  Adams. 
Andrew  Adams. 
Andrew  Adams. 
Andrew  Adams. 
Andrew  Adams. 
Andrew  Adam-. 
Andrew  Adam-. 
Andrew  Adams 
Bezaleel  Beebe. 
Bezaleel  Beebe. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Bezaleel  Beebe. 
Isaac  Baldwin,  Jr. 
Isaac  Baldwin. 
Isaac  Baldwin,  Jr. 
Abraham  Bri 
Jedediah  Strong. 
Jedediah  Si 

Ebenezer  Benton. 
Jedediah  Strong. 
Jedediah  St: 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
Bezaleel  Beebe. 
Uriah  Tracy. 
John  Allen. 
John  Allen. 
John  Allen. 
John  Allen. 
Bezaleel  Beebe. 
John  Allen. 
John  Allen. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
Julius  Doming. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
John  Welch. 
John  Welch, 
.lame-  M"rri-. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
John  Welch. 
Frederick  Wolcott. 
Ephraim  Kirby. 
Frederick  Wolcott 
Uri(  1  Holm 
Uriel  Holmes. 
I  Holmes. 


244 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIE] 

1805. 

May. 

James  Morris, 

<  October. 

James  Morris, 

1806. 

May. 

Moses  Seymour, 

October. 

Uriel  Holmes, 

1807. 

May. 

Uriel  Holmes, 

October. 

Uriel  Holmes, 

1808. 

May. 

Aaron  Bradley, 

October. 

Nathaniel  Goodwin, 

1809. 

May. 

Nathaniel  Goodwin, 

October. 

Nathaniel  Goodwin, 

1810. 

May. 

Muses  Seymour, 

October. 

Moses  Seymour, 

1811. 

May. 

Aaron  Smith, 

October. 

Moses  Seymour, 

1812. 

.May. 

Aaron  Smith, 

October. 

Morris  Woodruff, 

1813. 

May. 

Aaron  Smith, 

October. 

Aaron  Smith, 

1814. 

May. 

Aaron  Smith, 

October. 

t'riel  Holmes, 

1815. 

May. 

William  Beebe, 

October. 

William  Beebe, 

1816. 

May. 

William  Beebe, 

October. 

William  Beebe, 

1817. 

May. 

Jonathan  Buel, 

October. 

Jonathan  Buel, 

1818. 

May. 

Stephen  Russell, 

October. 

Stephen  Russell, 

1819. 

May. 

John  Welch, 

1820. 

May. 

John  Welch, 

1821. 

May. 

Seth  P.  Beers, 

1822. 

May. 

Seth  P.  Beers, 

1823. 

May. 

Seth  P.  Beers, 

1824. 

May. 

David  Marsh, 

1825. 

May. 

David  Marsh, 

1826. 

May. 

Morris  Woodruff, 

1827. 

May. 

Phineas  Miner, 

1828. 

May. 

Jabez  W.  Huntington, 

1829. 

May. 

Phineas  Miner, 

1830. 

May. 

Stephen  Russell, 

1831. 

May. 

Stephen  Russell, 

1832. 

May. 

Truman  Smith, 

1833. 

May. 

William  Beebe, 

1834. 

May. 

Stephen  Russell, 

1835. 

May. 

Phineas  Miner, 

1836. 

May. 

Morris  Woodruff 

1837. 

May. 

Morris  Woodruff, 

1838. 

May. 

Samuel  Buel, 

1839. 

May. 

Samuel  Buel, 

1S40. 

May. 

Frederick  Buel, 

1841. 

May. 

Frederick  Buel, 

1842. 

May. 

Origen  S.  Seymour, 

1843. 

May. 

Origen  S.  Seymour, 

1844. 

May. 

Elisha  S.  Abernethy, 

1845. 

May. 

Charles  Adams, 

1846. 

May. 

David  Marsh, 

1847. 

May. 

David  Marsh, 

1848. 

May. 

Samuel  P.  Bolles, 

1849. 

May. 

Origen  S.  Seymour, 

1850. 

May. 

Origen  S.  Seymour, 

1851. 

May. 

George  C.  Woodruff, 

1852. 

May. 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith, 

1853. 

May. 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith, 

1854. 

May. 

Frederick  Buel, 

1855. 

May. 

Philip  S.  Beebe, 

1856. 

May. 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith, 

1857. 

May. 

Josiah  G.  Beckwith, 

1868. 

May. 

Henry  I  J.  Graves, 

1859. 

May. 

Edward  W.  Seymour, 

Uriel  Holmes. 

Uriel  Holmes. 

Norman  Buel. 

Aaron  Bradley. 

Aaron  Bradley. 

Aaron  Bradley. 

Aaron  Smith. 

Aaron  Smith. 

Aaron  Smith. 

Aaron  Smith. 

Aaron  Bradley. 

Aaron  Bradley. 

Moses  Seymour 

Aaron  Smith. 

Moses  Seymour. 

Aaron  Smith. 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Morris  Woodruff 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Jonathan  Buel. 

Jonathan  Buel. 

Jonathan  Buel. 

Ephraim  S.  Hall. 

Ephraim  S.  Hall. 

Ephraim  S.  Hall. 

Phineas  Lord. 

Phineas  Lord. 
'  Seth  P.  Beers. 

John  Welch- 
John  Welch. 

Phineas  Miner. 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Morris  Woodruff. 

Reuben  Webster. 

William  Beebe. 

William  Beebe. 
.  Morris  Woodruff. 
•  Morris  Woodruff. 

Truman  Smith. 

Elihii  Harrison. 

Asa  Hopkins. 

Truman  Smith. 

Elihu  Harrison. 

Phineas  Lord. 

Phineas  Lord. 

William  Ray. 

William  Ray. 

E.  Champion  Bacon. 

E.  Champion  Bacon. 

Enos  Stoddard. 

Euos  Stoddard. 

Dan  Catlin. 

Dan  Catlin. 

George  Seymour. 

George  Seymour. 

William  L.  Smedley. 

Christopher  Wheeler. 

Christopher  Wheeler. 

Thomas  M.  Coe. 

William  Newton. 

William  Newton. 

Samuel  P.  Bolles. 

.Samuel  Brooker,  Jr. 

Garry  II.  Minor. 

Edward  Pierpont. 

William  Bissell. 

William  Bissell. 


LITCHFIELD   GRADUATE.  '_>-J5 

> 

NATIVE  AND  RESIDENT  GRADUATES, 

INCLUDING  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  RECIVED  HONORARY  DEGBEE8. 

Note. — This  list  is  not  designed  to  embrace  the  names  of  such  as  have  received 
medical  degrees  only— though  some  of  the  number  lrave  received  Che  m.  d.  in  addi- 
tion to  other  degrees.  In  the  first  column,  the  *  indicates  that  the  person  whose 
name  is  given  on  the  same  line,  was  BORN  in  this  town.  The  figures  in  I 
nmn  denote  the  number  of  years  the  individual  lived  in  Litchfield  ["he  figures  in 
send  column,  indicate  the  year  of  graduation.  The  t  after  the  name,  indicates 
an  honorary  degree.  The  name  of  the  college  is  given  immediately  after  that  of  the 
graduate. 


*  1848  Edward  P.  Abbe.  Yale,  clergyman  in  Massachusetts. 

*  1848  Frederick  R.  Abbe,  Yale,    "••  " 

10  1825  Elisha  S.  Abernethy,  Vale,  lawyer — now  resides  in  Bridgeport. 

30  1760  Andrew  Adams,  ll.  d..  Yale,  Chief  Justice  of  Connecticut 

26  1791  John  Allen, t  Yale,  lawyer  and  member  of  Congr 

*  1840  John  W.  Allen.f   Yale, 'lawyer  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  member  of  Coi  _ 
48  1793  Asa  Bacon,  Yale,  an  eminent  lawyer— died  in  New  Haven  in 

*  1833  E.  Champion  Bacon.  Yale,  lawyer,  legislator— died  at  Seville,  Spain,  1845. 

*  1838  Francis  Bacon,  Yale,  lawyer.  Senator.  Major  General. 

8  1850  Leonard  W.  Bacon.  Vale— present  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  Litchfield. 

*  1776  Ashbel  Baldwin,  Yale,  formerly  Hector  of  St.  Michael's,  Litchfield. 

*  1810  Charles  A.  Baldwin,  Williams,"  lawyer  in  State  of  New  York— died  1818. 
65  1735  Isaac  Baldwin,  Yale,  lawyer,  legislator,  clerk  of  the  courts  : 

*  1774  Isaac  Baldwin,  Jr.  Yale,  lawyer  and  legislator;  died  in  Pompey,  X.  Y  ,  1830. 

*  1801  Isaac  Baldwin.  3d,  Yale,  lawyer — died  in  ! 

*  1801  Samuel  S.  Baldwin,  Yale,  lawyer — died  in  1854. 

9  1766  George  Beckwith,  Yale,  pastor  of  the  church  in  South  Farms. 

30  1827  Josiah  G   Beckwith.  jr.  n.,  Union,  a  practicing  physician  in  tins  town. 

16  1797  Lyman  Beecher.  d.  d.,  Yale,  former  pastor  of  the  1st  Church  in  this  town. 

*  1833  Charles  Beecher,  Bowdoin,  now  pastor  in  Georgetown,  Ma—. 

16  1822  Edward  Beecher,  d.  d-,  Yale,  late  President  Illinois  College;  author,  etc. 

16  1828  George  Beecher,  Yale,  died  while  pastor  of  a  church  in  Chuicothie,  Ohio. 

*  1834  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  Amherst,  pastor  of  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn. 

*  1843  Thomas  K.  Beecher,  Illinois,  now  pastor  in  Elmira,  X.  V. 

16  1833  William  H.  Beecher.f  Yale,  formerly  pastor  in  Midnletown,  etc. 

16  1842  Frederick  D.  Beeman,  Yale,  lawyer!  and  clerk  of  the  court-. 

—  1800  Amos  Benedict,  Yale,  lawyer — died  in  this  town  in  1816. 

*  1846  Andrew  D.  Benedict.  Kenyan,  Episcopal  clergyman, 

*  1847  Samuel  Benedict,  Trinity,"  late  Ass't  Lector  Trinity  church,  X.  Haven. 

*  1846  Alfred  H.  Beers,  m.  d.,  Trinity,  physician  in  Buffalo,  X.  V. 

*  1839  George  W.  Beers,  Trinity,  member  of  the  Bar,  Litchfield. 

*  1786  John  Bird,  Yale,  lawyer  in  Litchfield  &  Troy.  X.  V.;  member  of  congress. 

*  1851  Edward  BisselL  Yale,  lawyer  in  Fondulac,  Wisconsin. 

*  1849  Oscar  BisseU,  Yale,  pa-tor  of  a  church  in  Westminster,  X.  EL 

*  1853  William  BisseU,  M.  d..  Yale,  physician  in  Salisbury. 

*  1833  Xoah  Bishop,  Yale,  pastor  of  a  church  in  or  near  Springfield,  Ohio. 

*  1812  John  1'.  Brace,  Williams,  teacher,  author,  editor. 

*  1846  Charles  Loring  Brace,  Yale,  author.  Secretary  Children"-  Aid  Soc.,  X.  V. 
6  l^oO  Jonathan  Brace,!  d.  d..  Vale,  now  pastor  of  a  church  in  Milford. 

3  1843  John  J.  Brandagee,  Yale,  former                   St.  Michael's.  Litchfield. 

*  1812  Solyman  Brown,  Yale,  dentist,  author,  clergyman.  Xew  York  city. 
30  1836  Frederick  Buel,  Yale,  Agent  American  Bible  Society,  California. ' 
IS  1826  William  P.  Buel,  m.  d.,  Yale,  physician  on  California  steamer. 

*  1844  Henry  W.  Buel,  m.  d.,  Yale,  physician  in  his  native  town. 

••">  David  BueL  Jr.,  William-.  ofTroy,  X.  Y..  lawyer.  Judge,  regent  oniv'ty. 

12  1886  Joshua  D.  Berry,  Middtebury,  late  President  Shelby  College,  Ky. 

?  1832  Amos  B.  Beach,  Union,  late 'Hector  St.  Paul's,  Bantam  ! 

*  1827  Horace  BushneU,  n.  d.,  Yale,  pastor  North  Church,  Hartford:  author,  etc. 

10  1838  David  Butler,  i>.  d  ,t  Washington,  former  Rector  St.  Michael 
42  1787  Joseph  E.  Camp,  Yale,  pastor  church  in  Northfield. 

*  1822  Albert  B.  Camp,  Yale,  pastor  in  Bridgewater,  Ashby,  V 

*  1786  Lynde  Catlin,  Yale,  merchant,  and  President  Merchants'  Bank,  X.  York. 

*  1839  John  Catlin,  Yale,  teacher.  &c,  resides  in  Northfieid. 

60  1761  Judafa  Champion,  Yale.  2  1  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  this  town. 

27  17xo  Amos  Chase,  Dartmouth,  pastor  church  in  South  Farm-. 
9  1803  Samuel  Church,  ll.  d.,  Yale,  chief  justice  of  Connecticut. 


24(>  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

John  Churchill, t  Yale,  now  pastor  of  a  church  in  Woodbury. 
Timothy  Collins,  Yale,  first  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  this  town. 
Ambrose  Collins,  Yale,  went  a  missionary  to  the  Indians,  and  died. 
Thomas  Davies,  Yale,  former  Rector  of  St.  Michael's. 
William  Doming,  Yale,  resides  in  his  native  town. 
George  C.  V.  Eastman,  Middlebury,  Rector  of  church  in  Bantam  Falls. 
Samuel  Fuller,  d.  d..  Union,  late  President  Kenyon  College,  Ohio. 
Fisher  Gay,  Vale,  colonel  revolutionary  army;  legislator,  magistrate. 
.lames  Gould,  ll.  d.,  Yale,  Judge  Sup".  Court,  principal  Law  School. 
Is27     Ceorge  Gould,  Yale,  of  Troy,  X.  V.,  now  Judge  Supreme  Court,  N.  York. 
'     James  R.  Gould,  Yale,  lawyer,  died  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  1830. 

William  T.  Gould,  Yale,  Judge  Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer,  Augusta,  Ga. 
John  M.  Grant,  Yale,  colporteur  in  Maryland,  &c. 
Wm.  H.  Guernsey,  Yale,  clergyman;  died  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  1850. 
Luther  B.  Hart,  Union,  late  pastor  Baptist  church,  North  Norfolk. 
Laurens  P.  Hickok,  d.  d.,  Union,  now  Vice  President  Union  college. 
George  A.  Hickox,  Trinity,  now  a  practicing  lawyer  in  this  town. 
Gideon  H.  Hollister,  Yale,  lawyer,  clerk  of  the  courts,  senator. 
Uriel  Holmes,  Jr.,  Yale,  lawyer,  judge,  member  of  congress. 
Uriel  Holmes,  Jr.,  Yale,  died  July  3, 1818,  while  member  Theo.  Sem.  And. 
Lemuel  Hopkins, t  m.  D,,Yale,  poet,  &c. 

Dan  Huntington,  Yale,  former  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  this  town. 
Charles  P.  Huntington,  Harvard,  now  Judge  Superior  Court,  Boston,  Ms. 
Jabez  W.  Huntington,  Yale,  lawyer,  judge,  member  of  congress,  senator. 
William  P.  Huntington,  Harvard",  pastor  in  Mass.  and  Illinois;  artist,  etc. 
George  J.  Harrison,'  Union,  now  congregational  minister  in  Milton. 
Isaac" Jones,  Yale,  minister  of  St.  Michael's  parish. 
Benjamin  Judd,  Yale,  pastor  in  Milton. 

James  Kilbourn,  Yale,  pastor  in  Bridgewater,  Middle  Haddam,  &  Illinois. 
John  Kilbotiru,  Yale,  teacher  in  State  of  New  York. 
P.  K.  Kilbourn,!  Union,  author  of  this  volume. 

Ephraim  Kirby,|  Yale,  lawyer,  judge,  author  of"  Kirby's  Reports." 
Wm.  H.  Lewis',t  d.  d.,  Kenyon,  Rector  of  Holy  Trinity  church,  Brooklyn. 
Daniel  W.  Lewis,  Yale,  lawyer,  state's  attorney.  | 

Samuel  Lyman,  Yale,  removed  to  Springfield,  Mass. ;  member  of  congress. 
Lynde  Lord.  Jr.,  Yale,  died  in  his  native  town  in  1813. 
Stephen  Mason,  Williams,  former  pastor  in  Washington,  now  in  Michigan. 
Reynold  Marvin,  Yale,  lawyer,  king's  attorney;  died  here,  July  30,  1802. 
Samuel  Marsh,  Yale,  lawyer  in  his  native  town,  and  in  Norfolk,  Ya. 
Truman  Marsh,  Yale,  Rector  of  8t.  Michael's  27  years;  died  here  in  1851. 
James  Morris,  Yale,  teacher,  magistrate,  legislator,  captain:  died  1820. 
James  Morris,  jr.,  Yale,  tutor  University  of  Georgia;  d.  in  Sunbury,  Ga. 
Reuben  S.  Morris,  Yale,  lawyer;  died  in'  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1832. 
Dwight  Morris.  Union,  lawyer  in  Bridgeport,  judge  of  probate,  legislator. 
tin  Osborn  Dartmouth,  pastor  in  Tinmouth,  Vt.;  author,  d.  1818. 
Isaac  Osborn,  Dartmouth,  farmer,  teacher,  deacon;  died  in  Litchfield  1820. 
Jeremiah  Osborn,  Dartmouth,  farmer,  died  in  Litchfield  in  1829. 
Jacob  Osborn,  Dartmouth,  farmer  and  teacher,  died  in  Litchfield  in  1821. 
Ethan  Osborn,  Dartm'th,  pastor  Fairfield,  N.  J.,  54  yrs;  d.  in  his  100th  yr. 
Solomon  Palmer,  Yale,  Rector  of  St.  Michael's;  d.  in  this  town  in  1771. 
Benjamin  Palmer,  Yale,  died  in  1780. 

John  M.  Peck,  d.  d.,|  Harvard,  Baptist  pastor  in  Illinois;  author;  d.  1858. 
Wm.  G.  Peck,t  Trinity,  (also  at  West  Point,)  Prof.  Mat,  Coluin.  Col.,  N.  Y. 
James  Peck,  Union,  merchant  at  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin. 
Amos  Pettingill,  Harvard,  pastor  church  in  South  Farms — 1816  to!]1822. 
John  H.  Pettingill,  Yale,  District  Secretary  Am.  Board — Albany,  N.  Y. 
John  Pierpont,  Yale,  clergyman  in  Boston,  author,  lecturer,  poet. 
Charles  Perkins,  Yale, lawyer,  died  in  London,  (Kng.,)  Nov  18,  1856,  s  61. 
Tapping  Reeve,  ix.  d.,  Princeton,  chief  justice  of  Connecticut. 
Aaron  Burr  Reeve,  Yale,  lawyer  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  died  in  1809. 
Tapping  Burr  Reeve,  died  in  Litchfield  in  1829. 

James  Richards,  D.  d.,  Union,  now  Principal  Elm  Park  Col.  Institute. 
James  Richards,  jr.,  Princeton,  Professor  Ancient  Lan.  and  Mat.  in  do. 
Rollin  Sanford,  Yale,  merchant  in  Brooklyn,  N- Y. ;  candidate  for  congress. 
Horatio  Seymour,  ll.  d.,  Yale,  lawyer,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Yt    12  years. 
Origen  S.  Seymour,  Y'ale,  member  of  congress,  judge  Superior  Court. 
Edward  \\ .  Seymour,  Yale,  lawyer,  member  present  House  of  Represents. 
Blisha  Sheldon,  Y'ale,  legislator  and  judge;  died  in  Litchfield  in  1779. 
Elisha  Sheldon,  m.  d.,  Yale,  died  iu  1832;  buried  in  Litchfield. 


* 

1844 

u 

1718 

* 

1758 



1758 

* 

1811 

— 

1829 

9 

1822 

* 

1759 

17 

1791 

•- 

1827 

* 

1824 

* 

1816 

* 

1839 

* 

1844 

* 

1849 

7 

1820 

7 

1851 

16 

1840 

32 

1784 

* 

1816 

8 

1784 

11 

1794 

* 

1822 

27 

1806 

* 

1824 

6 

1843 

40 

1792 

3 

1791 

* 

1837 

15 

1840 

* 

1853 

* 

1787 

* 

1844 

— 

1788 

6 

1770 

* 

1783 

* 

1812 

50 

1748 

* 

1786 

* 

1786 

* 

1775 

* 

1803 

* 

1804 

* 

1838 

* 

1775 

* 

1779 

* 

1779 

* 

1784 

* 

1784 

13 

1729 

y 

1750 

* 

1853 

* 

1853 

* 

1842 

6 

1807 

•* 

1837 

* 

1804 

25 

1813 

50 

1703 

:; 

1802 

.-. 

1829 

— 

1833 

— 

1858 

* 

1831 

■-■ 

1797 

* 

1824 

* 

1853 

25 

1730 

■: 

1800 

LITCHFIELD   PHYSICIANS.  247 


tu  Aaron  smitn,  i  ale,  lawyer,  legislator  ana  merchant;  cLin  this  town  in  1834. 

)6  Lucius  Smith,  Yale,  merchant,  colonel  in  war  with  Gt.  Britain,  clergyman. 

>7  Reuben  Smith,  Yale,  physician,  magistrate,  county  treasurer;  died  m  1804. 

.5  Truman  Smith,  Yale,  lawyer,  member  of  congress,  U.  S.  Senator. 


*  Richard  Skinner,  uu  D.,t  Middleburv,  Governor  and  chief  justice  of  Yt. 

25  1790  Aaron  Smith,  Tale,  lawyer,  legislator  and  merchant:  d.in  this  town  in  1834 

7  1806  ' 

45  1757 
35  1816 

*  1761  Jedediah  Strong,  Vale,  member  continental  congress,  legislator,  • 
3  1823  John  S.  Stone,  d.  p.,  Union,  former  Rector  of  St.  Michael's. 

—  1838  Benjamin  \V.  Stone,  Trinity,       "  "  " 

*  1857  Storrs  0.  Seymour,  Yale,  now  a  student  of  theology. 

*  1822  'William  Sheldon,  Yale,  merchant,  died  in  France  in  1826. 

10  1844  Benjamin  L.  Swan,f  Yale,  now  pastor  of  a  church  in  Stratford. 

52  1773  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  Yale,  member  of  congress  10  year-. 

*  1830  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  jr. f  Yale,  Lieut.  Q.  S.  X.:  d.  oil' Gibraltar  in  1830. 

*  1811  Frederick  A.  Tallmadge,  Yale,  Recorder  N.  Y.  city,  member 

28  1778  Uriah  Tracy,  Tale,  lawyer,  member  of  congress,  U.  S.  Senator,  General. 

*  1778  Joseph  Vaill.  Dart'th,  pastor  in  Hadlyme;<£  1888  after  a  ministry  of  58  vrs. 

*  1824  Herman  L,  Vaill,  Yale,  pastor  in  East  Lvme;  also  Seneca  Falls',  X.  Y. 

*  1848  Louis  F.  Wadsworth,  Trinity,  lawyer  in'N.  Y .  city,  Dep.  Clerk  Assembly. 

*  1837  Charles  'Wads worth,  d.  d.,  Union,  pastor  Arch  st.  church,  Philadelphia.' 

*  1795  Holland  "Weeks  Dartmouth,  pastor  in  Waterburv,  and  in  Vermont. 
?  1S09  William  R.  Weeks,  d.  d.,  Princeton;  d.  1848,  je'.  06. 

*  1778  John  Welch,  Y'ale,  merchant, judge,  legislator;  died  in  1-14. 

*  1805  William  Welch,  Yale,  captain U.  S.  A.;  died  in  the  public  service  in  1811. 

*  1827  William  H.  Welch,  Yale,  late  chief  justice  of  Minnesota  Territory. 

46  1747  Oliver  Wolcott,  U.D.,  Governor,  Signer  Declaration  of  Independence. 

*  1778  Oliver  Wolcott,  jr,  ll.  d.,  Y'ale,  Governor,  Secretary  U.  S.  Treasury,  etc. 

*  1786  Frederick  Wolcott,  Yale,  lawyer,  legislator,  judge  of  probate. 

*  1779  Ezekiel  Woodruff,  Yale,  lawyer,  Adjutant  revolutionary  army. 

*  1849  Curtis  T.  Woodruff,  Yale,  Sector  Episcopal  church  in  Woodbury. 

*  1S25  George  C.  Woodruff,  Y'ale,  lawyer,  legislator,  judge  of  probate. 

*  1857  George  M.  Woodruff,  Yrale,  now  a  law  student'  in  Cambridge, 

*  1830  Lewis  B.  Woodruff,  Yale,  now  a  Judge  Superior  Court,  New  York  city. 

*  1809  Simeon  Woodruff,  Y'ale,  clergyman,  settled  at  the  West. 

*  1836  Lucius  H.  Woodruff.  Y'ale,  teacher  in  Insane  Retreat,  Hartford:  d.  in  1852. 

*  1803  Samuel  Whittlesey,  Y'ale,  pastor  at  Washington  and  elsewhere. 

2  1851  Junius  M.  Willey,  Trinity,  Rector  of  St.  "Michael's ;  now  in  Waterburv. 


Physicians  who  have  Practiced  in  Litchfield. 

Note. — The  *  designates  natives  of  this  town.     }:  Those  who  received  the  M.  D. 

Timothy  Collins,   from  Guilford,  the  first  clergyman  and  physician  in  the  town, 

preached  and  practiced  herefrom  1721  till  his  death  in  1777. 
Thomas  Little,  from  Taunton,  came  here  about  1747 — died  in  Northfield  of  old  age. 
Seth  Bird,*  b.  Jan.  4,  1733-'4;  died  in  this  town  in  1804. 
Daniel  Huntington,  practitioner  and  druggist;  d.  iu  Woodbury  Feb.  19, 1819. 
Phineas  Bradley,  practitioner  and  druggist;  became  Ass't  P.M.  Gen'l  U.  States. 
Samuel  Catlin**  b.  Nov.  6,  1739;  lived  to  old  age,  and  died  in  his  native  town. 
Hosea  Hulbert,|  removed  to  Fairfield  county. 

Daniel  Sheldon, J  a  native  of  Hartford,  practiced  here  from  1781  until  his  death. 
Phineas  Smith.*  b.  Oct.  27,  175'j;  lived  and  died  in  his  native  town. 
Comfort  Bradley,*  lived  and  died  in  native  town. 

Partridge  Parsons,*  b.  Aug.  22, 1763  ,  d.  in  Pen  Yan,  N.  Yr.,  May  9, 1846,  aged  83. 
Robert  Catlin,*  surgeon,  b.  March  29,  1773:  d.  in  his  native  town. in  1828. 
Abel  Catlin,*  b.  March  18,  1770:  died  in  his  native  town  January  13, 1856. 
John  M.  West,t  died  in  this  town  July  27,  188§,  aged  47. 
Reuben  S.  Woodward, |  died  in  Northfield  in  1849,  aged  83. 
Isaac  Marsh,*  died  in  Cornwall,  Sept.  1,  1829,  aged  53. 
Joseph  Parker,  died  in  South  Farms,  Feb.  6,  1830,  aged  70. 

William  Buel,*J  President  State  Medical  Soc,  d.  in  this  town,  Oct.  15,  1861,  .i .  B4. 
Samuel  Buel,*J  died  in  this  town,  July  10,  1854,  aged  72. 
Alanson  Abbe, J  now  resides  in  Boston. 
Manly  Peters, J  now  resides  in  Knoxvillc,  Tennessee. 
Norman  Landon,*t  died  in  this  town  in  1830. 
John  W.  Russell, *J  now  resides  in  Mount  Vernon.  Ohio. 
Josiah  Barnes,|  now  resides  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


248  HISTORY   OF  LITCHFIELD. 

Moses  A.  Lee,}  died  while  Professor  in  the  Medical  College  at  Pittsfield,  Muss. 
Anson  Wildman,  practitioner  and  druggist:  present  resilience  unknown. 

John  S.  Wolcott,}*  (son  of  the  last  Gov.  Wolcott,)  died  in  this  town  in  1844. 

Reuben  M.  Woodruff,*}  died  in  this  town  April  29,  1841),  aged  3S. 

Charles  Vaill,*  J  now  resides  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Garry  H.  Minor,}  a  native  of  Woodbury,  now  resides  in  South  Farms. 

Benjamin  Welch,  jr.,}  from  Norfolk,  now  resides  in  Salisbury. 

Caleb  Ticknor,}  died  in  New  York,  Sept.  7,  1840,  aged  36. 

Samuel  R.  Childs,}  now  resides  in  Saratoga  Springs. 

William  Deming,  jr.,*}  now  resides  in  Lenox,  Mass. 

James  K.  Wallace,*  now  a  practitioner  at  Bantam  Falls. 

George  Seymour,*}  now  a  practicing  physician  in  this  village. 

A.  Sidney' Lewis,*}  "  "  " 

Eliada  Osborn,*}  "  "  " 

David  E.  Bostwick,*}  "  "  " 

Orson  Buel,*  (botanic,)  "  "  " 

D.  B.  W.  Camp,*}  "  "  Northficld. 


Physicians  born  in  Litchfield  but  who  practiced  elsewhere. 

[Not  included  in  either  of  the  foregoing  Lists.] 

Judah  Champion  Landon,  (son  of  J.  R.  Landon,  Esq.)  died  in  Kentucky  a  few  years. 

John  Ward  Birge,  now  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 

Levi  Moulthrop,  died  in  early  manhood  at  Rockford,  Illinois. 

Timothy  Pierce,   died  at  the  South. 

Clark  Sanford,  settled  in  Stamford  and  died  there. 

John  Stoddard  emigrated  westward. 

Asa  Barnes,  settled  in  Virginia._ 

Burr  Reeve  Abbe,  Boston,  Mass. 

Charles  W.  Grant,  now  resides  at  Iona,  near  Newburgh,  N.  Y. 

Aaron  W.  Gibbs,  now  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Samuel  Catlin,  jr,  formerly  of  Watertown:  now  in  Michigan. 

Egbert  Guernsey,  author,  Professor,  and  practitioner,  New  York  city. 

Ozias  Lewis,  jr,  of  Kosciusco,  Mississippi. 

Isaac  W.  Russell,  died  in  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio. 

Joseph  W.  Camp,  late  of  Bristol — now  of  Wisconsin. 

Fred'k  B.  Woodward,  former  physician  in  Woodbury — now  Rector  ch.  in  Bethany. 

Asa  C.  Woodward,  now  of  Bethany. 

Elijah  A.  Woodward,  now  of  Madison,  Wisconsin. 

Warren  Smith,  died  in  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  1805. 

Ephraim  Smedley,  of  North  East,  Pennsylvania. 

Abel  Brace,  of  Catskill,  N.  Y. — late  coroner  of  Green  co. 

Henry  Holmes,  of  Hartford — Health  Officer,  Alms  Honse  Physician,  Coroner. 

George  Bissell,  late  of  Dutches  county,  N.  Y.,  now  of  California. 

Charles  J.  Kilbourn,  of  stanfordville,  Dutches  co.,  N.  Y. ;  died  in  this  town  in  1852. 

.lames  B.  Kilbourn,  of  Hinds  county,  Miss.;  died  therein  1837. 

Washington  Irving  Wright,  surgeon  in  the  U.  S.  Army. 

Oliver  Wolcott,  died  in  California  in  1856.     A  son  of  Colonel  Oliver  S.,  he  was  the 

last  of  the  Wolcotts  in  the  line  of  the  three  Governors.    His  remains  were  brought 

to  Litchfield  for  interment. 
Joseph  Hall,  died  recently  at  North  East,  Penn. 
Augustus  Bissell,  Pennsylvania. 
Daniel  H.  Moore,  died  in  New  Haven  in  1849. 
Walter  Peck,  died  in  Goshen  Nov.  8,  1834,  aged  24. 
Horatio  M.  Baldwin,  died  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  in  1842. 
Marcus  M.  Wood,  of  Greene,  Chenango  county,  N.  Y. 
Henry  Pierpont,  of  Naugatuck. 
Charles  H.  Webb,  of  Woodbury. 
Zephaniah  Webb,  of  New  York  city. 
Moses  M.  Seymour,  of  Painesville,  Ohio. 


LITCHFIELD.  249 

Town  of  Litchfield. 

The  town  of  Litchfield  is  situated  near  the  geographical  centre  of  the  County  of 
Litchfield,  of  which  it  is  the  shire  town  or  seat  of  justice.  It  is  claimed,  (I. 
who  have  from  time  to  time  sought  to  divide  it,)  that  it  is  tin:  largest  township  in  the 
State — being  eight  miles  north  and  south,  by  nine  miles  east  and  (rest.  It  is  32  miles 
west  of  Hartford,  35  mile  north-westerly  from  New  Haven,  and  about  100  miles  north- 
easterly from  New  York.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Cornwall,  Goshen  and  Ton 
south  by  Bethlem,  Watertown  and  Plymouth;  east  by  Harwinton,  from  which  it 
is  separated  by  the  Naugatuck  river;  and  west  by  Warren  and  Washington.  The 
Naugatuck,  Shepaug  and  Bantam  rivers,  and  some  of  their  branches,  pa's  through 
the  town,  affording  an  abundance  of  water-power.  Bantam  Lake,  which  lies  wholly 
in  this  town,  is  the  largest  lake  in  the  State,  covering  an  area  of  BOO  acres.  The 
Little  Pond  covers  about  15  acres;  and  Cranberry  Pond  is  still  smaller.  .Mount  Tom 
Pond  lies  partly  in  Washington  and  partly  in  this  town.  The  surface  of  the  town  is 
gently  rolling,  here  and  there  breaking  info  abrupt  ridges  or  bluffs.  The  highest  of 
these  is  Mount  Tom,  some  six  miles  south-west  of  the  village,  which  reaches  an  al- 
titude of  700  feet  above  the  river  at  its  base,  or,  according  to  President  D wight 
1500  feet  above  the  level  of  tide-water.  From  Prospect  Mountain,  about  four  miles 
west  Of  the  Court  House,  may  be  seen  the  Cattskill  mountains,  west  of  the  Hudson. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  land  in  the  vallies  and  on  the  hill-sides,  is  easily  tilled,  and 
yields  abundant  crops.  The  balance  is  profitably  used  for  meadow,  pasturage  and 
wood-land.  Some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  diversity  landscapes  in  New  England 
are  to  be  met  with  in  this  town.  In  1800,  the  total  amount  of  the  <  I  rand  List  of  Litch- 
field was  $107,164  27— of  which  sum  $51,687  67  was  for  the  First  Socictv  ;  $2t;,ss2  oj 
for  South  Farms;  $14,740  45  for  Northfield ;  $13,855  13  for  Milton.  In  1810,  there 
were  in  the  town  4087  acres  of  plow-laud;  7208  acres  of  meadow  and  clear  pasture;  966 
acres  of  boggy  meadow  that  was  mowed;  294  acres  do.  not  mowed;  other  meadow 
1312  acres;  0343  acres  bush  pasture;  4408  acres  first  rate  wood-land ;  8789  acres  2d 
rate  do. ;  4756  acres  3d  rate  do.  Since  that  date,  the  plow-land,  meadow  and  - 
pasture,  have  greatly  increased ;  while  the  area  of  wood-land  has  decreased  in  alike 
ratio.  Wood  is  now  so  scarce  and  high  in  our  borough  market,  that  some  of  our 
people  have  already  commenced  burning  Pennsylvania  mineral  coal. 

Litchfield  contains  four  incorporated  Ecclesiastical  Societies  and  twentv-cight 
School  Districts.     The  societies  are,  Litchfield,  South  Farms,  Northfield,  and  Milton. 

The  Naugatuck  Railroad  runs  through  the  entire  length  of  the  township  from  north 
to  south — the  Litchfield  Station  being  about  four  miles  from  the  Court  House. 

The  population  of  Litchfield  in  1756,  was  1,366;  in  1774,  it  was  1,554:  in  1800,  it 
was  4,287;  in  1810,  it  was  4,639.  From  this  time,  the  tide  of  emigration  began  t<> 
set  so  strongly  westward  that  our  population  commenced  decreasing.  In  1820,  the 
census-taker  gave  us  4,610;  while  in  1850,  our  population  was  but  8,987. 

In  hotly  contested  elections,  more  than  1,000  votes  have  been  polled  in  this  town. 

Though  the  population  of  the  Town  has  thus  decreased,  the  Borough  has  gradually 
increased  its  numbers,  and  has  been  constantly  improving  in  rural  beauty. 

In  1848-'9  the  New  England  Mining  Company  commenced  mining  for  copper  in  the 
"Pitch,"  four  miles  south-east  of  this  viilage;  and  about  the  same  time,  another 
company  with  the  famous  P.  T.  Barnum  at  its  head,  began  digging  in  the  same  vicin- 
ity. Both  these  companies  were  unsuccessful.  Barnum,  in  ids  examination  before 
his  creditors  in  New  \  ork,  put  down  as  one  item  of  loss,  "  $10,000  sunk  in  a  Litchfield 
copper  mine." 

In  other  parts  of  the  town,  however,  miners  have  met  with  better  success.  About 
two  miles  north-east  of  the  village,  on  the  form  of  .Mr.  Beach,  a  shaft  has  been  sunk 
25  feet  in  depth,  by  Messrs.  Sedgwick  and  Buell.  The  vein  or  lode  is  14  feet  in  width, 
composed  of  pure  quartz,  with  a  slight  mixture  of  felspar.  In  this  vein  is  found  a 
very  pure  gray  Copper  Ore,  yielding  by  analysis  79  1-2  per  cent,  of  copper.  A 
bevel  has  been  driven  140  feetj  which  whe  completed,  will  intersect  the  vein  at  60 
feet  in  depth.  In  this  vein  are  also  found  great  quantities  of  small  pure  garnets, 
which  are  as  yet  too  small  to  be  made  valuable  as  articles  of  commerce.  This  vein, 
bearing  nearly  a  north  and  south  direction,  can  be  traced  for  a  distance  of  three  mile-. 
On  the  farm  "of  Mr.  Gilbert,  half  a  mile  from  this  location,  was  recently  found  an  old 
shaft,  15  feet  deep,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  sunk  long  before  the  Revolution. 
This  has  been  cleaned  out,  and  sunk  30  feet  upon  a  small  vein  of  iron  and  copper  run- 
ning together.  The  quantity  of  copper  found  is  not  yet  sutlicient  to  render  the  dig- 
ging profitable— the  mine  having  been  but  partially  developed. 

The  lands  of  the  Connecticut  Mining  Company,  on  Prospect  Mountain,  promise  an 
abundant  return  for  funds  invested  and  labor  performed.  Disinterested  parties  who 
have  visited  these  lands,  and  others  who  have  analyzed  and  smelted  their  copper, 
nickel  and  silver  ores,  pronounce  the  percentage  of  pure  metal  to  be  much  greater  than 
that  of  some  the  celebrated  English  mines.  The  enterprize  is  this  company  di 
and  will  receive  a  rich  reward. 

32 


250  HISTORY  OP  LITCHFIELD. 

Litchfield  Borough  Corporation. 

At  the  May  Session  of  the  Legislature  of  this  State,  1818,  the  inhabitants  of  this 
village  presented  their  memorial,  praying  for  a  Borough  Charter.  In  their  petition 
they  state  that  "  the  houses  are  as  contiguous  as  they  are  in  many  of  our  cities  ;  that 
the' Public  Schools,  which  for  many  years  have  been  established  in  this  village,  make 
a  great  addition  to  its  ordinary  population;"  that  on  account  of  their  local  situation 
and  compact  settlement,  the}'  are,  as  they  conceive,  in  an  unusual  degree  exposed  to 
injury  from  fire,"  &C.  The  application  was  successful;  and  the  petitioners  and  their 
associates,  residing  within  the  limits  prescribed,  "  were  constituted  and  declared  to 
be  forever  thereafter,  a  body  corporate  in  fact  and  in  name,  by  the  name  of  the  Cor- 
poration of  thi  ViQagt  of  Litchfield.'"  The  powers  vested  in  the  corporation  were 
similar  to  those  of  the  ordinary  borough  charters  of  this  state,  viz.,  to  levy  taxes  for 
the  purchase  of  fire-engines,  fire-hooks,  ladders,  and  snch  other  improvements  as 
should  be  deemed  necessary  to  protect  the  village  against  fires ;  to  order  and  direct  in 
all  matters  relating  to  side-walks,  shade-trees,  and  the  sinking  of  public  wells  and 
pumps ;  to  restrain  cattle,  sheep,  and  geese  from  running  at  large  in  the  public  high- 
ways; and  to  pass  such  by-laws  and  regulations,  with  suitable  penalties  attached,  as 
might,  from  to  time,  be  thought  necessary  for  the  attainment  of  the  objects  contem- 
plated in  the  charter.  The  officers  designated  in  kthe  act  of  incorporation,  were,  a 
President,  Treasurer,  and  Clerk,  (who  were  in  all  cases  to  be  chosen  by  ballot,)  a 
Collector  of  Taxes,  and  a  number  of  Fire- Wardens  not  to  exceed  ten,  together  with 
such  other  officers  not  enumerated  as  should  be  "necessary  to  carry  the  by-laws  and 
the  provisions  of  the  charter  into  effect.  In  case  the  collector  should  refuse  or  neglect 
to  collect  the  tax  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  warrant  committed  to  him,  the  Presi- 
dent must  "issue  his  warrant  directed  to  the  Sheriff  of  the  county  of  Litchfield,  or 
his  deputy,  to  distrain  the  sums  or  rates  neglected  by  such  collector  to  be  collected, 
to  be  paid  out  of  the  estate  of  said  collector."  The  Assessors  were  to  be  appointed 
by  the  County  Court. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Borough  under  the  charter,  was  held  on 
the  17th  of  June,  1818,  at  which  the  following  officers  wer"e  elected,  viz.,  Hon.  Fred- 
erick Wolcott,  President;  Dr.  William  Buel,  Treasurer;  and  Joseph  Adams, 
Clerk.  A  committee  'of  five  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  code  (of  By-Laws  for  the 
Borough,  viz.  Seth  P.  Beers,  Julius  Deming,  Asa  Bacon,  Phineas  Miner,  and  Ozias 
Lewis.  At  an  adjourned  meeting  holden  on  the  20th  of  June,  it  was  voted  to  choose 
a  Bailiff  by  ballot;  and  Dr.  Abel  Catlin  was  elected  to  that  office.  Benjamin  Tall- 
madge,  Asa  Bacon  and  Charles  L.  Webb,  were  appointed  a  Committee  of  Inspection; 
and  Ashbel  Marsh  was  chosen  Key  Keeper. 

These  gentlemen  constituted  the  first  list  of  officers  of  our  corporation.  It  is  sad 
to  note  the  inroads  which  death  has  made  in  their  ranks  in  the  lapse  of  forty  years. 
The  President,  Treasurer,  Clerk,  and  Bailiff,  together  with  Messrs.  Deming,  Miner, 
Tallmadge  and  Bacon,  are  all  with  the  dead.. 

At  the  regular  annual  meeting  in  September,  1818,  Judge  Wolcott  was  re-elected 
President;  Dr.  Buel,  Treasurer;  and  Mr.  Adams,  Clerk;  Messrs.  Roger  Cook,  Am- 
brose Norton,  Moses  Seymour,  Jr.,  Oliver  Goodwin  and  James  Trowbridge,  were 
chosen  Fire  Wardens.  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  Asa  Bacon,  Esq.,  was  chosen 
Bailiff;  Charles  L.  Webb,  Leonard  Goodwin.  Jonathan  Carrington,  and  Ambrose 
Norton,  Assistant  Bailiffs ;  and  Leonard  Goodwin,  Collector. 

The  first  Board  of  Assessors  consisted  of  Erastus  Lyman,  Esq.,  Gen.  Morris 
Woodruff,  and  John  N.  Guun,  Esq.  The  amount  of  the'Grand  List  of  the  Borough, 
Oct.,  1818,)  as  returned  by  the  Assessors,  was  $128,913.65. 

In  1820,  the  Hon.  Uriel  Holmes  was  elected  President  of  the  Borough.  In  1824,  he 
was  succeeded  by  Dr.  William  Buel,  who  held  the  office  for  twelve  years.  His  suc- 
cessors have  been  the  Hon.  Phineas  Miner,  Joseph  Adams,  Esq.,  Dr.  J.  G.  Beckwith, 
Garwood  Sanford,  Henry  B.  Graves,  and  P.  K.  Kilbourne,  F.  D.  Beeman,  and  John  H. 
Hubbard. 

In  1823,  the  second  general  assessment  of  the  village  was  made  by  Samuel  Sey- 
mour, Frederick  Wolcott,  and  Jonathan  Carrington,  Esqrs.,  (gentlemen  appointed  for 
that  purpose  by  the  County  Court,)  and  did  not  differ  materially  in  amount  from  that 
made  in  1818.  The  assessment  of  1835  amounted  to  $140,027;  that  of  1853,  to 
$143,525;  showing  a  gradual  increase  in  the  actual  value  of  the  real  estate  of  our  vil- 
lage, from  the  date  of  its  incorporation  to  the  present  time. 

The  village  now  (1859)  contains  something  over  200  dwellings,  stores,  offices,  and 
shops;  4  houses  of  Public  Worship,  three  of  which  have  chapels  annexed;  a  Court 
House,  Jail,  and  County  House;  two  Banks,  one  Savings  Bank,  one  weekly  news- 
paper, three  Hotels,  an  Insurance  Office,  three  Public  Halls  in  addition  to  the  Town 
Hall  and  Court  Room,  three  High  Schools,  (one  for  young  ladies  and  ,two  for 
young  gentlemen;)  also,  it  is  the  residence  of  five  clergymen,  seven  physcians,  and 
ten  lawyers,  exclusive  of  those  who  have  summer  residences  here. 


SOROUGH   OP  -LITCHFIELD.  251 

Professor  Benjamin  Silliman,  LL.  D.,  of  Yale  College,  in  1820,  published  in  his 
.Journal  of  Science,  an  account  of  a  Journey  through  New  England.  Of  this  vil- 
lage he  says : 

"  Litchfield  Hill  is  a  beautiful  spot.  One  principal  street,  (intersected,  however, 
by  some  cross  streets,)  extends  more  than  a  mile  in  length,  and  contains  a  collec- 
tion of  very  handsome  houses,  with  gardens  and  court-yards.  The  houses  and 
appendages  are  generally  painted  white;  and  it  is  rare  to  see  so  considerable  a 
number  of  houses  in  a  country  town,  where  nearly  all  apparently  belong  to  the 
gentry.  In  England,  such  a  town  would  be  a  wonder;  and  here,  connected  as  it  is 
with  the  rich  agricultural  country  which  mrr  mils  it,  swelle  I  into  be  tutifnl  lulls  and 
scooped  into  luxuriant  vallies,  every  where  crowned  with  lively  verdure  and  with  cul- 
tivated fields— it  presents  a  very  interesting  and  gratifying  spectacle  " 

COUNTY  OFFICERS,  PROFESSIONAL  MEN,  MERCHANTS,  &o., 
Residing  in  the  Borough  of  Litchfield — 1859. 

Hioii  Sheriff. — Leverett  W.  Wessells. 

Deputy  Sheriff. — Edward  0.  Peck. 

County  Clerk. — Frederick. D.  Beeman. 

County  Treasurer.— Charles  L.  Webb. 

Justices  of  the  Peace. — Charles  Adams,  John  H.  Hubbard,   Henry  B.  G 
George  C.  Woodruff,   P.  K.  Kilboum,  Edward  W.  Seymour,  Frederick  D.    Beeman, 
Win.  L.  Ransom,'G.  A.  Hickox. 

.Members  of  the  Bar. — Seth  P.  Beers,  (retired  from  practice,)  Origen  S.  Sey- 
mour, (Judge  Superior  Court,)  George  C.  Woodruff,  John  H.  Hubbard,  Gideon  If. 
Hollister,  Henry  B.  Graves,  George  W.  Beers,  William  L.  Ransom,  E.  W.  Seymour, 
Frederick  D.  Beeman,  George  A.  Hickox. 

Physicians. — Josiah  G.  Beckwith,  A.  S.  Lewis,  George  Seymour,  David  E.  Bost- 
wick,  Henry  W.  Buel,  Eliada  Osborn.     Orson  Buel,  Botanic. 

Clergymen. — Leonard  W.  Bacon,  pastor  1st  congregational  church;  It.  X.  Hudson, 
Rector  St.  Michael's  church;  James  Richards,  D.  !>.,  Principal  Elm-Park  Collegiate 
Institute;  Joshua  I).  Berry,  Rector  Episcopal  church,  Plymouth;  William  Howard, 
pastor  1st  Methodist  church. 

Merchants.— Charles  L  Webb,  J.  G.  Beckwith,  W.  F.  &  G.  II.  Baldwin,  Silas 
N.  Bronson,  Wm.  Wheeler,  C  Rinehart,  Charles  F.  Bishop,  Theodore  S.  Sedgwick, 
A.  C.  Smith,  George  Munger,  Frederick  U.  McNiel,  Wm.  II.  Braman,  L.  0  Meafoy, 
Wm.  Munson,  Henry  W.  Adams,  Samuel  Clock.  Thomas  II.  Richards,  Edward  Coc. 

Dentists. — E.  W.  Blake,  Edward  Crossman.] 
Daguerreotypist — Jesse  L.  Judd. 
Jewellers. — Reuben  Merriman,  Christian  Rinehart. 
Furniture  Ware-hodse. — David  C.  Bulkeley. 
Dealer  in  Stoves,  tfc. — Garwood  Sanford. 
Meat-Markets. — Robert  Merriman,  Egbert  T.  Warner. 

The  professional  men  now  residing  in  other  parts  of  the  town  are — Rev.  David  L. 
Parmelee,  pastor  congregational  church  in  Smith  Farm-;  Bev.  George  J.  Harrison, 
minister  congregational  church  in  Milton:  Bev.  J.  R.  William-.  Sector  St.  Paul'-. 
Bantam  Falls,  and  Trinity,  Milton ;  Bev.  Jackson  Ganun,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church 
in  Bantam  Falls;  Rev.  Hermon  L.  VailL,  retired  congregational  minister.  Dr.  Garry 
11.  Minor,  South  Farm-;  Dr.  D.  B.  W.  Cam]),  Northfield;  Dr.  James  K.  Wallace, 
Bantam  Falls. 

[Of  the  14  practicing  physicians  in  this  town  thirty  years  ago,  (1820,)  two  only  re- 
main among  us,  Dr.  Beckwith,  of  this  village,  and  Dr.  Minor,  of  South  Farms.  J 


[From  the  Litchfield  Monitor.] 

Litchfield,  March.  20th,  1785. — "Died  on  the  27th  inst.,  in  this  town,  Mrs.  Sarah 
MeXeil,  wife  of  Capt.  Archibald  McNeil,  in  the  78d  year  of  her  age.  She  shared 
largely  in  the  vicissitude-  of  fortune.  In  her  native  country  she  was  brought  up 
asy  affluent  circumstances.  In  crossing  the  Atlantic  they  were  shipwrecked, 
lost  their  only  child,  and  an  affluent  fortune.  By  the  Divine  blessing  upon  their  inde- 
fatigable industry,  they  procured  a  handsome  interest  To  her,  emphatically,  be- 
longed that  character 'of  a  virtuous  woman,  Prov.  xxxi.  She  was  very  steady  and 
devout  in  her  attendance  upon  divine  worship  and  ordinances— was  exemplary  pious, 
and  hopefully  died  in  the  Lord.     Her  works  do  follow  her." 


252  HISTORY    OF  LITCHFIELD. 

Temperance  in  Litchfield  Seventy  Years  Ago. 

[Said  to  have  been  the  earliest  Temperance  Organization  in  the  world.] 
"  So  many  are  the  avenues  leading  to  human  misery,  that  it  is  impossible  to  guard 
them  all.  Such  evils  as  arc  produced  by  our  own  folly  and  weakness  are  within  our 
power  to  avoid.  The  immoderate  use  which  the  people  of  this  State  make  of  Dis- 
tilled Spirits,  is  undoubtedly  an  evil  of  this  kind.  It  is  obvious  to  every  person  of 
the  smallest  observation,  that  from  this  pernicious  practice  follows  a  train  of  evils 
difficult  to  be  enumerated.  The  morals  are  corrupted,  property  is  exhausted,  and 
health  destroyed.  And  it  is  most  sincerely  to  be  regretted  that  from  a  mistaken  idea 
that  distilled' spirits  are  necessary  to  laboring  men,  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
heat,  and  give  relief  from  severe  fatigue,  that  a  most  valuable  class  of  citizens  have 
been  led  to  contract  a  habit  of  such  dangerous  tendency.  Hence  arises  the  inability 
to  pay  public  taxes,  to  discharge  private  debts,  and  to  support  and  educate  families. 
Seriously  considering  this  subject,  and  the  frowns  of  Divine  Providence  in  denying 
many  families  in  this  part  of  the  country  the  means  of  a  comfortable  subsistence  the 
present  year,  by  failure  of  the  principal  crops  of  the  earth;  we  think  it  peculiarly  the 
duty  of  every  good  citizen  to  unite  his  efforts  to  reform  a  practice  which  leads  so 
many  to  poverty,  distress,  and  ruin.  Whereupon  we  do  hereby  associate,  and  mutu- 
ally agree,  that  hereafter  we  will  carry  on  our  business  without  the  use  of  distilled 
Spirits  as  an  article  of  refreshment,  either  for  ourselves,  or  those  whom  we  employ, 
and  that  instead  thereof,  we  will  serve  our  workmen  with  wholesome  food,  and  com- 
mon simple  drinks  of  our  own  production. 

Ephraim  Kirby,  Archibald  McNeil, 

Timothy  Skinner,  Abraham  Bradley, 

David  Buel,  I.  Baldwin,  Jr., 

Julius  Deming,  T.  Reeve, 

Benjamin  Tallmadge,  Collier  &  Adam, 

Uriah  Tracy,  Tobias  Cleaver, 

Ebenezer  Marsh,  Amos  Galpin, 

Moses  Seymour,  Thomas  Trowbridge, 

Samuel  Marsh,  S.  Shethar, 

James  Stone,  Solomon  Buel, 

Samuel  Seymour,  Bryant  Stoddard, 

Daniel  Sheldon,  Abraham  Peck, 

Ozias  Lewis,  Frederick  Wolcott, 

Lawrence  Wessells,  Nathaniel  Smith  2d, 

Elijah  Wadsworth,  John  Allen, 

Alexander  Catlin,  John  Welch, 

Reuben  Smith,  Arthur  Emmons. 

Lynde  Lord, 
By  Necessity  and  on  Principle,  in  consequence  of  little  experiment  and  much  ob- 
servation, I  have  effectually  adopted  and  adhered  to  the  salutary  plan  herein  pro- 
posed during  several  months  past,  and  am  still  resolved  to  persevere  until  convinced 
that  any  alteration  will  be  productive  of  some  greater  good,  whereof  at  present  I  have 
no  apprehensions  whilst  Human  Nature  remains  the  same. 

Litchfield,  9ih  May,  1789.  J.  STRONG." 

Slavery  in  Litchfield. 

From  sixty  to  eighty  years  ago,  many  of  the  wealthy  people  in  this  town  owned 
negro  slaves.  Some  were  voluntarily  emancipated  by  their  owners;  while  others 
were  liberated  by  the  laws  which  have  from  time  to  time  been  passed  on  the  subject. 
In  1800,  the  census  shews  only  seven  slaves  in  this  town.  The  '  institution '  is  now 
extinct  among  us,  though  some  who  were  born  slaves  are  still  living  here. 

The  following  document,  executed  by  the  first  Governor  Oliver  Wolcott,  we  find  on 
our  town  records : 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  Oliver  Wolcott,  of  Litchfield,  in  the 
state  of  Connecticut,  in  expectation  that  my  negro  servant  man,  Casar,  will,  by  his 
industry,  be  able  to  obtain  a  comfortable  subsistence  for  himself,  and  that  he  will 
make  a  proper  use  of  the  freedom  which  I  hereby  give  him,  do  discharge,  liberate, 
and  set  free,  him,  the  said  Ccesar,  and  do  hereby  exempt  him  from  any  further  obli- 
gations of  servitude  to  me,  my  heirs,  and  from  every  other  person  claiming  any  au- 
thority over  him,  by,  from,  or  under  me.  And  that  my  said  servant,  whom  I  now 
make  free,  as  aforesaid,  may  be  known  hereafter,  by  a  proper  cognomen,  I  hereby 
give  him  the  name  of  Junius,  so  that  hereafter  he  is  to  be  known  and  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  Caesar  Jamus.  As  witness  my  hand  and  seal,  in  Litchfield,  November 
twenty-third  day,  A.  D.  1786. 

In  presence  of  )  OLIVER  WOLCOTT.     [l.  s.] 

Maky  Ann  Wolcott, 
Frederick  Wolcott. 


E.J 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION,  ETC.  253 


LITCHFIELD  COUNTY  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION. 

On  the  13th  and  14th  days  of  August,  1861,  the  One  Hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
organization  of  Litchfield  County  wa>;  celebrated  with  appropriate  ceremonies  in  this 
village.  A  Committee  of  Arrangements  had  been  previously  appointed  in  <:irh  town 
in  the  county— that  for  Litchfield  consisting  of  the  Hon.  Sainucl  Chun! 
Woodruff,  Esq..  Rev.  David  L.  Pannelee,  Hon.  William  Beebe  and  Jonathan  Buel, 
The  following  gentlemen  composed  the  Central  Committee,  viz.,  Bon.  Setfa  P. 
Beers,  (Chairman,)  Hon.  Origen  8.  Sevmour,  G.  II.  HoIIister,  Edwin  B.  Webster  and 
Win.  B.  Thompson,  Esqrs.,  all  of  Litchfield:  Col.  Bobbins  Battell,  of  Norfolk,  Hon. 
David  c.  Sanford,  of  New  Milford,  and  Bev.  Jonathan  Lee,  of  Salisbury. 

An  immense  crowd  of  returning  emigrants  from  the  county,  and  others,  were  pres- 
ent. The  great  Tent  belonging  to  Yale  College  was  spread  on  tin-  West  Park,  under 
which  the  public  services  took  place — consisting  of  an  Historical  Address,  by  the  Hon. 
Samuel  Church,  LL.  D.,  of  Litchfield,  the  then  Chief  Justice  of  the  State;  a  Dis- 
course,  no  '  The  Age  of  Homespun,'  by  the  Rev.  Horace  Buslmell,  D.  D.,  of  Hartford, 
a  native  of  Litchfield :  and  a  Poem,  by  the  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  of  Medford,  Mass. 
also  a  native  of  this  town. 

The  following  were  the  Officers  of  the  Day: 

Gen.  DANIEL  B.  BRINSMADE,  of  Washington.  Presides* 

Gen.  R.  C.  Abcrnethy,  ) 

Hon.  Roger  H.  Mills, 

John  Buckingham,  Esq.,  \  Vice  President-. 

Hon.  Charles  B.  Phelps, 

Hiram  Goodwin,  Esq.,  J 

Major-General  William  T.  King,  of  Sharon,  Chief  Marshall. 

Col.  William  F.  Baldwin,  of  Litchfield,  and  21  others,  Marshals. 

On  the  second  dav  of  the  celebration,  addresses  were  made  under  the  Tent  by  tae 
Hon.  Messrs.  Daniel  S.  Dickinson,  Amasa  .1.  Parker,  F.  A.  Tallmadge,  David  Buel, 
George  W.  Holley,  George  Gould,  Henry  Dutton,  &0.  Letters  were  read,  songs  and 
hymns  were  sung:  old  acquaintances  were  renewed,  and  new  one  formed;  and. 
though  friends  anil  strangers  came  in  thousands,  the  hospitality  of  our  people  proved 
abundant.  The  13th  and  14th  of  Augest,  1851,  are  days  that  will  long  be  remembered 
in  our  local  calender. 

D^p'The  drawing  on  the  opposite  page,  was  made  by  Mr.  Jri.ics  BOSCH,  (a  native 
of  Dresden,  Germany,)  who,  in  ls:>i--2,  was  a  teacher  of  Drawing,  etc.,  in  this  village. 
He  was  subsequently  a  Professor  of  tbe  Fine  Arts  in  the  State  Normal  School.    <  >n  ln- 

return  from  a  visit  to  his  native  country  in  the  autumn  of  185S,  he  perished  at  sea, 
with  500  others,  by  me  burning  of  the  steamship  Austria. 


ZEBULON  GIBBS'  NARRATIVE. 

[Zebulon  Gibbs  was  born  in  Windsor  Aug.  19,  1711;  died  in  Litchfield  Jan.  8,  1803.] 

"  Mbhoibs  OF  Cut.  ZBBULOS  GlBBS. — Some  memoirs  of  my  life  may  not  be  un- 
interesting. I  came  to  Litchfield  in  the  vear  1720,  then  being  in  my  tenth  year.  There 
v.  ere  then  hut  three  families  living  within  the  limits  of  Litchfield,  viz.,  John  Peck, 
Captain  Jacob  Griswold,  and  F/.ekiel  Buck.  Said  Griswold  was  taken  by  two  Indi- 
ans in  the  month  of  May,  1722,  and  carried  a-  far  a-  Canaan:  and  in  the  succeeding 
nieht  when  the  Indian-  were  asleep,  said  Griswold  took  their  guns  and  made  hi-  es- 
cape and  returned  to  the  town  next  dav— though  he  was  followed  by  the  Indians 
within  sight  of  the  houses  then  standing  on  the  now  town  plat  In  the  same  year,  in 
the  month  of  August,  Joseph  Hani-  was  killed  and  scalpel  by  the  Indians.  On  the 
dav  that  said  Harris  was  killed,  !  was  solicited  by  him  to  go  with  him  oul  to  the  Plain 
west  of  the  town,  to  drive  his  team;  hut  a-  there  wa-  no  guard  going  that  day  to  that 
part  of  the  town  I  refused  to  go  with  him.  He  then  went  alone:  hut  when  the  news 
came  into  town  that  Harris  wa-  killed,  there  wa-  an  alarm  made,  and  the  people  rallied 
out  in  search  of  him,  and  I  n<  the  firstwho  found  him  dead 

[  am  now  the  oldest  man  living  in  the  county  ol  Litchfield,  save  one.    la- 
the first  funeral  that  wa-  ever  attended  in  this  town,  of  a  white  person.     I  have  been 
a  miehtv  hunter  in  my  early  life:  I  have  killed  live  Deer  in  this  town  in  one  day. 

I  went  un  to  Ticonderoga  in  the  late,  revolutionary  war,  with  Colonel  H.nnian.  I 
was  active  in  the  French  War  in  the  year  1750,  till  the  year  1782.     I  was  a  conductor 


r 


254  HISTORY   OP  LITCHFIELD. 

of  teams  and  horses,  by  which  means  I  obtained  the  title  of  Captain.  I  married  about 
the  age  of  21,  and  lived  with  my  wife  G2  years,  and  she  died — by  whom  I  had  nine 
children;  three  died  young,  and  six  lived  to  settle  in  the  world  in  the  marriage  state. 
I  have  had  48  grandchildren,  133  great-grandchildren,  and  sundry'  of  the  5th  genera- 
tion, but  the  number  I  caiuiot  ascertain.  I  am  now  91  years  old.  I  have  enjoyed  a 
firm  constitution.  I  was  able  the  last  summer  to  mow  and  reap,  and  very  probably 
shall  do  some  this  season. 

I  cannot  boast  of  holding  many  places  of  office  and  trust  in  this  town,  though  I  have 
been  a  Nuisance  Committee  above  forty  years,  and  have  endeavored  to  be  faithful  in 
removing  encroachments  from  the  highways.  But  the  young  ones  are  now  rising  up, 
ami  think  thev  know  more  than  the  old  man:  but  I  am  alive  yet,  though  I  have  ex- 
perienced almost  everything  but  death.  ZEBULON  GIBBS. 

Litchfield,  June  30,  1802." 


The  Press  and  Politics. 

On  Tuesday,  December  21,  1784,  was  issued  in  this  town  the  first  number  of 
"The  Weekly  Monitor,  and  American  Advertizer,"  printed  by  Collier  &  Copp,  "in 
the  south  end*  of  the  Court  House."  It  contains  only  three  Litchfield  advertize- 
ments,  viz..  1.  That  of  William  Russell,  Stocking  Weaver,  [from  Norwich,  England,] 
who  announced  that  he  was  ready  to  make  "  worsted,  cotton  and  linen  Jacket  and 
Breeches  Patterns,  men's  and  women's  Stoekings,  Gloves,  and  Mitts."  2.  That  of 
Zalmon  Bedient,  Barber,  who  offers  cash  for  human  Hair,  at  his  barber's  shop  "  a  few 
rods  north  of  the  Court  House  in  Litchfield."  3.  That  of  Cornelius  Thayer,  Brazier, 
who  gives  notice  that  he  carries  on  business  at  the  shop  of  Col.  Miles  Beach,  in  North 
street — at  which  shop  the  Jewelers'  and  Silversmith's  business  "  is  carried  on  as  usual 
by  said  Beach." 

The  Monitor  was  continued  for  a  period  of  22  years :  for  16  years  of  which,  it  had 
no  rival  in  the  town.  It  was  printed  on  a  sheet  about  one-third  the  present  size  of  the 
Litchfield  Enquirer — with  course  type,  and  coarse  blue  _paper.  A  single  compositor 
might  have  set  the  type  in  a  single  day  for  all  the  new  matter  which  was  contained 
in  some  of  the  weekly  issues.  Yet  it  is  a  most  interesting  epitome  of  the  olden  times. 
From  it  we  are  able  to  glean  very  many  facts  and  events  in  the  history  of  this  town 
and  county,  which  are  preserved  no  where  else.  Until  after  the  advent  of  the  present 
century,  both  the  town  and  count}'  were  federal  in  their  politics;  and  the  Monitor  was 
was  at  once  the  organ  and  the  oracle  of  the  federal  party  in  this  region. 

hi  Au<mst,  1805,  two  young  printers — Messrs.  Sellick  Osborn  and  Timothy  Ashley 
— came  to  this  town  and  established  The  Witness,  a  violent  democratic  newspaper. 
The  Witness  was  edited  by  Mr.  Osborn,  who,  though  a  man  of  talents  and  energy, 
was  a  most  unscrupulous  partizan  and  bitter  satirist.  Though  there  was  a  formida- 
ble minority  of  democrats  in  the  township  at  this  time,  Litchfield  Hill  was  the  strong- 
hold of  Federalism.  Tallmadge,  Reeve,  Wolcott,  Deming,  Gould,  Tracy,  Holmes, 
Allen,  Aaron  Smith,  Rev.  Messrs.  Champion  and  Huntington,  and  indeed  nearly  all 
the  leading  men  of  the  village,were  Federalists,  and  looked  upon  Jefferson  as  an  infi- 
del and  reprobate.  Subsequent  to  the  Presidential  Election  of  1800,  (which  resulted  in 
the  choice  of  Jefferson  to  the  Presidency,)  the  partizan  sermons  and  prayers  of  Messrs. 
Champion  and  Huntington  of  the  congregational  church  had  driven  several  of  their 
church  members  (including  Deacon  Lewis)  to  Episcopacy.  On  one  occasion,  after 
a  political  sermon  from  Parson  Huntington,  his  venerable  colleague,  Father  Cham- 
pion, prayed  first  and  fervently  for  "  thy  servant  the  President  of  the  United  States" 
(John  Adams ;)  and  concluded  thus — "  And,  O  Lord !  wilt  thou  bestow  upon  the  Vice 
President  (Jefferson)  a  double  portion  of  Thy  grace,  for  Thou  hrunoest  he  needs  it  /" 
The  summary  withdrawal  of  so  many  members,  caused  the  first  church  no  little  em- 
barrassment. A  formal  expulsion  was  proposed;  but  some  of  them  occupied  high 
social  positions,  and  others  were  nearly  allied  to  remaining  members.  The  matter  was 
finally  adjusted  by  a  simple  withdrawal  of  the  "  watch  and  fellowship"  of  the  church 
from  the  the  seceders.  The  feeling  of  hostility  between  federalists  and  democrats 
was  such  that  prominent  men  living  the  same  neighborhood  refused  to  recognize  each 
other  when  they  met;  federal  ladies  refused  even  to  make  formal  calls  at  the  houses 
of  their  democratic  neighbors;  and  the  children  of  federalists  were  forbidden  to  as- 
sociate with  those  of  the  nated  democrats.  "  Such  was  the  state  of  feeling  on  Litchfield 
Hill  when  The  Witness  opened  its  batteries  on  the  ranks  of  Federalism.  At  first,  its 
saults  were  treated  with  contempt.  Osborn  grew  bolder,  more  bitter,  and  more  per- 
sonal— gathering  up  and  parading  before  the  public  the  foibles  or  follies  (real  or  man- 
ufactured) of  the  principal  men  of  the  village,  against  whose  honor  no  word  of  suspi- 
cion had  before  been  breathed.    Charges  and  insinuations  of  hypcrisy  and  crime  were 


1 


THE   PRESS  AND   POLITICS  '   255 

freely  blended  with  the  most  scathing  ridicule.  This  was  "bearding  the  lion  in  his 
„r„  n  ™  "p  long^fore  0sbor»  ™  in.licted,  tried  and  convicted,  of  a  libel  on 
Jul  us  Doming,  Esq.  Osborn  and  his  partner,  Aimley,  were  both  subjected  to  a  fine 
in  default  of  the  payment  of  which,  both  were  committed  to  the  County  Jail  As  lev 
■n  liberated;  and  Osborn  might  have  been  had  he  complied  with  the  terms  of 
the  curt.  But  as  he  himself  expressed  it,  "the  only  alternative  offered  him  wuto 
ttayeeitner  bis  body  or  mmd  imprisoned,  of  course  he  remained  in  confinement  »  His 
friends  regarded  him  as  a  martyr  to  his  political  lidelitv.  It  was  published  far  and 
wide  through  the  columns  ol  the  democratic  journals,  that  his  health  was  sinking  from 
confinement  "in  a  damp  and  loathsome  cell:"  that  a  maniac  charged  with  murder 
was  thrust  into  the  Bame  cell  with  him,  &C.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1806,  a  meeting  of 
the  democrats  of  Litchfield  was  held  at  Phelps'  Hotel,  at  which  a  committee  of  three 
was  appointed  to  repair  to  the  prison  and  learn  the  true  situation  of  Mr.  I 
ami  tns  treatment  since  his  imprisonment,  and  to  report  at  an  adjourned  meetine  "' 
At  the  adjourned  meeting,  on  the  14th,  the  committee  reported,  in  substance,  that  thev 
had  raited  Mr.  O.  at  the  jail:  that  he  was  confined  in  the  same  room  with  two  crim- 
inals, both  charged  with  capital  offences  ;  that  his  room  was  formed  of  damp  and  ra- 
ged stone  walls,  in  which  the  air  was  impure,  stagnant  and  offensive,  and  so  dark 
that  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  one's  features ;  that  his  friends  were  generally  denied 
admission  to  his  room,  and  could  only  have  intercourse  with  him  through  the  outer 
grate  of  the  prison;  that  his  health  was  tailing,  &c.  &c  From  this  date,  the  com- 
mittee  visited  the  prison  from  time  to  time,  and  issued  their  weekly  bulletins  through 
the  columns  of  I'he  Witness.  I„  vain  Sheriff  Landon  denied  the  truth  of  the  com 
mittee's  original  report.  The  story  of  Osborn'a  persecutions  went  abroad  over  the 
land.  Ihe  democracy  of  distant  States  held  indignation  meetings,  at  which  Osborn 
was  extolled,  the  Connecticut  Courts  denounced,  and  the  Litchfield  federalists  execra- 
ted At  length  it  was  resolved  to  have  a  grand  ovation  in  behalf  of  Osborn,  at  Litch- 
field—and  the  6th  of  August  wa*  fixed  upon  for  the  celebration.  The  great  day 
finally  arrived,  and  with  it  came  an  immense  concourse  of  democrats  from  this  and 
other  States.  Day-break  was  greeted  with  the  discharge  of  one  gun  at  the  head  of 
North  street,  a  responsive  discharge  an  the  flag-staff  on  the  Public  Green,  and  martial 
music  until  sun-rise.  At  Sun-Rise,  17  guns  were  fired— with  martial  music.  At  11 
the  procession  moved  in  the  following  order,  viz.,  ' 

Military— commanded  by  Major  Stephen  Rannev;  Lieut.  Swett,  U.  S.  Officer  sta- 
tioned at  Springfield,  acting  as  Marshal,  John  M.  Felder,  as  Adjutant,  and  Chauncev 
Uotchkiss,  as  Quarter-Master— consisting  of 

Cavalry,  commanded  by  Captain  Carter. 
*  Band  of  Music. 

Matross  company  from  Danbury,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Ambler, 
do.  do.  of  this  to  w:n,  commanded  by  Cant.  Bissell. 

do.  do.  composed  of  boys,  in  white  uniform. 

Light  Infantry,  commanded  by  Captain  Shethar. 
Infantry,  commanded  by  Captain  Grannis. 
do.  commanded  by  Lieut.  Stone, 

do.  commanded  by  Ensign  Norton. 

Two  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements. 
Clergy  and  Orator, 
General  Timothy  Ski.nnek.  President  of  the  Day, 
Moses  Seymour,  Esq.,     ) 

John  Welch,  Esq.  J-  Vice  Presidents  of  the  Dav, 

Ozias  Lewis,  Esq,  ) 

Six  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangement, 
Marshals  of  Connecticut  and  Vermont, 
Collectors  of  New  Haven  and  Middletown, 
Citizens  generally. 
The  procession  passed  under  Osborn's  prison  window,  with  heads  uncovered  each 
saluting  the  prisoner  with  a  passing  bow.  and  the  military  giving  him  a  brigadier's 
salute.  Notwithstanding  the  hatred  with  which  many  of  the  oongregationalists  n 
democracy,  the  society's  committee  had  generously  tendered  the  u>e  of  their  meeting- 
house for  the  occasion.     Thither  the  procession  wended.     The  services  in  the  church 
consisted  of  a  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Asahel  Morse,  (Baptist,)  of  SufiSald;  Reading  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  by  Jonathan  Law,  Esq.,  of  Cheshire;  an  <  (ration,  by 
David  Plant,  Esq,  of  Stratford,  [since  member  of  congress  and  lieut.  governor]:  'anil 
an  Address   by  Joseph  L.  Smith,  Esq,  of  Litchfield. 

Before  the  arrival  of  the  procession  at  the  church,  an  occurrence  took  place  which 
created  much  ill-feeling  and  comment  at  the  time.  Messrs'.  Champion  and  Hunting- 
ton entered  the  church,  and  were  proceeding  up  the  aisle  toward  the  pulpit,  when 
(according  to  Mr.  Champion's  statement,)  he  was  seized  near  the  shoulder  by  Joseph 
L.  Smith,  Esq,  a  member  of  the  committee  of  arrangements,  who  pulled  him  around, 


256   '  HISTORY   OP  LITCHFIELD. 

saying — "  You  have  no  business  here?  and  must  go  out  of  the  house."  Mr.  C.  replied, 
that  he  was  an  old  man,  and  wished  lor  liberty  to  sit  in  the  pulpit,  assuring  him  that 
ho  would  make  no  disturbance.  Mr.  Smith  grew  more  boisterous,  and  the  two  cler- 
gymen withdrew.  .Mr.  Smith  and  his  friends  published  a  very  different  version  of  the 
story;  while  the  federalists  reiterated  that  Smith  had  at  first  boasted  of  the  exploit, 
and  declared  that  he  would  have  called  the  military  to  his  aid  if  it  had  been  necessary 
in  ejecting  the  intruders.  Mr.  Champion  seems  to  have  taken  the  matter  very  seri- 
onsly.  "I  was  much  afflicted,"  he  wrote,  "at  being  cast  out  of  the  House  of  God, 
where  I  had  worshipped  almost  54  years,  and  could  expect  to  be  there  but  a  few  days 
more.  These  reflections  crowded  into  my  mind,  when  ejected  and  retiring  from  the 
place  where  Cod's  honor  had  dwelt." 

At  the  annual  election  in  October,  1805,  it  maybe  remarked,  not  a  single  democrat 
had  been  eliosen  to  the  Legislature  in  Litchfield  county;  and  the  federalists  had  not 
been  backward  in  taunting  Osborn  about  the  "revolution"  which  it  was  said  he  had 
boasted  he  would  produce  in  this  region.  At  the  annual  election  in  May,  1800,  the 
tables  had  been  partially  reversed  by  the  election  of  two  democratic  Representatives 
from  Litchfield  by  a  vote  of  314  to  308.  A  portion  of  the  democratic  enthusiasm  in 
behalf  of  Osborn",  is  attributable  to  an  appreciation  of  his  services  in  producing  this 
result 

As  an  incident  of  the  celebration,  it  is  mentioned  that  during  the  day,  a  placard 
was  displayed  on  the  door  of  one  of  principal  Hotels,  bearing  the  significant  words — 
"  No  Democrats  admitted  here."  Some  gentlemen  from  a  distance  put  up,  as 
was  their  custom  when  this  way,  with  an  intimate  friend,  who  chanced  to  be  a  rank 
federalist.  He  soon  enquired  if  they  had  come  to  attend  the  celebration;  and  on  be- 
ing answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  abruptly  replied — "Then  you  cannot  be  accommo- 
dated at  my  house.  As  old  friends,  I  should  have  been  glad  to  see  you;  as  democrats 
I  want  nothing  to  do  with  you !"     Such  was  the  spirit  of  the  times. 

When  the  services  in  the  church  were  over,  the  procession  was  re-formed  and  pro- 
ceeded to  a  large  Bower  which  had  been  erected  in  the  meadow  on  the  south  side  of 
East  street,  nearly  opposite  the  Jail,  where  a  cold  repast  had  been  prepared  by  Capt. 
Phelps.  Seventeen  regular  toasts  were  drank,  accompanied  by  the  discharge  of  can- 
non and  music  from  the  band.     Among  them  were  the  following: 

"Justice — May  false  witnesses,  perjured  judges,  and  packed  juries,  be  banished 
from  its  courts." 

"Selleck  Osborn — Like  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  he  is  teaching  his  persecutors  that 
the  beasts  cannot  devour  him."     [3  cheers.] 

"  Liberty  of  the  Press — Litchfield  Jail  its  stronghold."     [3  cheers.  J 

"  The  Political  Clergy — If  there  were  twenty  Gods,  perhaps  seme  one  might  ap- 
prove their  services;  but  the  one  God  wants  no  political  pastors."     [3  cheers. J 

"  The  memory  of  our  departed  friend,  Ephraim  Kirby— His  virtues  will  live  while 
our  memory  lasts;  his  merits  shall  be  known  to  posterity." 

"  Litchfield  Jail — Our  votes  will  level  it  as  the  ram's  'horns  did  the  walls  of  Jeri- 
cho."    [6  cheers.] 

The  Witness  complains  that  the  name  of  Major  Seymour  was  stricken  from  the  roll 
of  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  this  county,  by  the  Legislature,  (May  1807,)  because  of  his 
participation  in  the  6th  of  August  celebratiou. 

In  June  1807,  The  Witness  gives  the  following  summary  of  the  suits  against  Messrs 
Osborn  and  Ashley,  viz. : 

"  Fine  and  costs  in  libel  suit  with  J.  Deming,  Esq.,  $346  46 

For  publishing  case  of  Tallmadge  &  Wolcott  vs.  General  Hart, 

with  comments  thereon,  fine  and  costs,  605  98 

For  slandering  Thomas  Collier,  522  00 

(Besides  cost  of  complaint  in  favor  of  Mr.  Ashley  against-Thomas  G. 

Collier,  which  complaint  the  county  court  dismissed.)  

Aggregate,  $1,474  44 

Osborn  was  not  the  only  man  involved  in  libel  suits  in  those  days.  The  Hon.  Tap- 
ping Reeve,  and  ('apt.  Thomas  Collier  of  the  Monitor,  were  both  indicted  before  the 
U.  S.  District  Court  at  New  Haven,  for  libeling  President  Jefferson;  and  the  Rev. 
Dan  Huntington,  of  this  village,  recovered  $1,000  from  Maj.  Babcock^  of  the  Hartford 
Mercury,  a  democratic  paper. 

The  Witness  was  discontinued  in  the  summer  of  1807 — having  been  published  about 
two  years.  Selleck  Osborn  was  a  native  of  Danbury  ;  and,  after  leaving  Litchfield, 
published  The  Delaware  Watchman,  at  Wilmington,'  Del.  A  volume  of  his  Poems 
was  published  in  Boston.     He  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1826. 

The  Litchfield  Monitor  was  discontinued  in  1806 — having  been  published  bv  Mr. 
Collier  for  22  years.  Thomas  Collier  (son  of  Richard)  was  born  in  Boston,  Feb.  20, 
1700,  and  died  in  Binghainton,  N.  Y.,  1844.  On  leaving  this  town,  he  resided  for  sev- 
eral years  in  Troy.    In  June,  1799,  an  orphan  lad  of  14  years,  named  John  C.  Wright, 


OUR   PARKS.  ^.57 

from  VVethersfield,  entered  the  Monitor  Office  as  an  apprentice,  remained  with  Mr 
Collier  until  of  age,  married  his  daughter  Mary,  and  for  some  time  published  a  paper 
in  Troy.  ■  Having  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  settled  in  Steube  i   mthe 

winter  of  1809-'10;  and  in  1831,  he  removed  thence  to  Cincinnati,  where  the  venera- 
ble couple  are  still  living.  Mr.  wrighthas  been  State's  Attorney,  member  of  Con- 
gress, U.S.  Attorney  for  the  District  of  Ohio,  and  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  In 
1834,  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  a  Kentucky  college. 

The  Litchtield  Gazette  was  commenced  in  January,  1808,  by  Messrs.  Charles  Boa 
mer  and  Oliver  Goodwin,  both  l'mm  Hartford.  The  Gazette  was  discontinued  May  17 
1809.  Mr.  Hosmer  returned  to  Hartford,  where  In-  i-  -till  engaged  in  mercantile  bu- 
siness, and  has  been  tor  many  years  the  Recording  Secretar  neoticut  His- 
torical Society.  Mr.  Goodwin  remained  in  this  Village  as  a'  bookseller  and  stationer 
until  his  death  in  1855. 

Isaiah  Bunce  came  to  this  town  soon  after,  and  commenced  The  Litchfield. Journal 

the  name  of  which  was  changed   to  The  Litchfield  Republican  in  1819 which   in 

turn,  was  succeeded  by  The  Miscellany,  a  small  quarto,  in  July,  1^21.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1822,  Mr.  Bunco  commenced  in  this  village  the  publication  of  Phe  A 

which  he  removed  to  New  Haven  in  March,  1826.    Mr.  Bunce  was  a  man  of 
ize,  and  established  a  Bookstore,  Beading  Boom,  and  Circulating  Library; 
and  was  for  a  few  years  a  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

The  Litchfield  County  Post  was  established  in  1826,  by  Stephen  B,  .Smith,  from 
Poultney,  Vermont.  He  disposed  of  the  establishment  to  Joshua  Garrett,  who,  after 
publishing  the  Post  for  a  few  weeks,  sold  out  to  Henry  Adams  in  1829.  Mr.  Adam, 
soon  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  The  Litchfield  Enquibeb,  which  it  still 
bears.  After  editing  and  publishing  The  Enquirer  for  about  thirteen  years,  he  was 
accidentally  drowned,  while  fishing,  by  breaking  through  the  ice  of  Bantam  river 
near  the  entrance  of  that  stream  into  Bantam  Lake.  Mr.  A.  was  a  son  oi'  the  late 
Joseph  Adams,  Esq.,  of  this  village,  and  was  a  talented  and  popular  editor.  If 
er,  Charles  Adams,  Esq.,  succeeded  him  in  the   publication  of  thi  .     From 

1845  to  1853,  the  paper  was  conducted  by  P.  K.  Kilbourn.  II  W.  Hyatt  and  K.  c. 
Goodwin  afterwards  successively  became  pi  it.     The  pres- 

ent publishers  are  Messrs.  Adams  and  Betts.    The  Enquirer  is  now  in  its  34th  volume. 

Nov.  3,  1833,  Melzer  Gardner,  from  Hartford,  commenced  The  Litchfield  Democrat, 
which  was  discontinued  in  September,  1834.  Subsequently,  while  editing  a  paper  in 
Richmond,  Va.,  Gardner  was  shot  on  board  a  steamboat  near  that  city,  by  a  man  to 
whom  he  had  given  offense  by  an  article  which  he  had  published. 

The  Litchfield -Sun  was  commenced  by  John  M.  Baldwin,  (a  native  of  this  town,)  in 
February,  1835;  sold  out  to  S.  G.  Hayes,  of  New  Haven,  in  Sept.  1837,  who  discon- 
tinued it  in  April,  1839. 

In  January,  1840,  Charles  E.  Moss  &  Co.  commenced  The  Mercury,  which  was 
transferred  to  Josiah  Giles  in  the  following  August.  It  was  discontinued  some  time  in 
1842.  The  Mercury  was  soon  succeeded  by  The  Democratic  Watchman,  also  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Giles,  which  was  discontinued  in  1844. 

In  1845,  J.  K.  Averill  commenced  the  New  Milford  Republican,  at  New  Milford;  in 
September,  1840,  he  removed  his  olllce  to  this  village,  and  changed  the  nam 
paper  to  the  Litchfield  Republican.  W.  F.  &  G.  11.  Baldwin,  Albert  Stoddard,  and 
Franklin  Hull,  successively  continued  the  publication  of  the  Republican.  In  1856, 
the  office  was  removed  to  falls  Village,  where  the  paper  is  still  continued  under  the 
name  of  The  Housatonic  Republican. 

All  these  papers,  it  should  be  remarked,  were  published  weekly. 


OUR  PARK?. 

Our  East  and  West  Parks,  which  now  add  so  much  to  the  beauty  of  our  village, 
graded,  enclosed,  and  planted  with  tree-,  in  the  summer  of  1886.  During  the 
preceding  year,  the  subject  had  been  considered  by  our  citizens,  in  connection  with 
several  natives  of  this  town  residing  in  New  York  city,  and  the  gum  off  600  was 
readily  lor  the  object.  On  the  2.1  of  January,  1886,  a  special  town  meet- 
ing was  held — Roger  Cook,  Moderator,  and  George  C.  U Irulf,  Clerk  pro  tern.     At 

thi-  meeting  full  permission  was  granted  to  the  committee  appointed  by  the  subscrib- 
ers of  the  fund  to  enclose  and  "improve  as  they  shall  see  proper,"  that  portion  of  the 
or  Highway  at  present  enclosed  in  the  parks  referred  to.  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient and  active  members  of  the  first  Park  Committee  (and  who,  perhaps,  did  more 
than  any  other  person  in  raising  the  Bark  Fund,)  was  the  late  Br.  J.  v. 
this  village,  a  son  of  the  la-t  Gov.  Wolcott. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1858,  the  town  voted  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  village 
1  have  i  tract,  \\  ithout  expense  to  the  town,  a  Bark  in  the  common  a 

i  id'  West  Bark-,  in  such  suitable  place  a-  a  committee  appointed  by 
■ting  shall  designate,  in  such  way  as  shall  not  materially  interfere  with  travel".' 

'  34 


258  HISTORY   OP  LITCHFIELD 


The  Litchfield  Law  School. 

This  institution  was  established  in  1784,  by  Tapping  Reeve,  Esq.,  (afterwards 
chief  justice  of  the  State,  and  LL.  D.,)  who  was  the  sole  Principal  until  1798,  when 
the  Hon.  James  Goild,  LL.  D.,  became  associated  with  him.  This  was  the  first  in- 
stitution of  the  kind  in  the  country;  and,  as  its  conductors  were  learned  and  eminent 
men,  it  attained  a  wide-spread  renown.  From  1820,  Judge  Gould  conducted  the 
School  alone  for  several  years;  when  the  Hon.  Jabez  W,  Huntington  became  his  as- 
sistant. In  consequence  of  the  failing  health  of  Judge  Gould,  it  was  discontinued  in 
1833.  Up  to  that  time  the  number  of  students  had  been  1,024 — every  State  then  in  the 
Dnion  having  been  represented.  Of  this  number,  15  became  U.  S.  Senators;  50 
members  of  Congress ;  40  Judges  of  the  higher  State  courts:  10  Governors  of  States; 
6  members  of  the  National  Cabinet,  i  Messrs.  Calhoun,  Woodbury,  Mason,  Clayton 
and  Hubbard;)  2  Judges  Supreme  Court  United  States,  (Henry  Baldwin  and  Levi 
Woodbury;)  1  Vice  President  of  the  United  State,  (John  C.  Calhoun;)  and  several 
Foreign  Ministers — among  whom  is  the  Hon.  John  Y.  Mason,  our  present  Ambassa- 
dor to  France. 

At  the  annual  dinner  of  the  "  Story  Association"  of  the  Cambridge  Law  School, 
(Mass.,)  in  1851,  the  following  reference  was  made  to  our  Law  School.  Mr.  Loring, 
like  scores  of  his  fellow-students,  married  a  Litchfield  lady. 

Judge  Kent  gave — 

"  The  first-born  of  the  law  schools  of  this  country — the  Litchfield  Law  School.  The 
Boston  bar  exhibits  its.  rich  and  ripened  fruits.  By  them  we  may  judge  of  the  tree 
and  declare  it  good." 

Hon.  C.  G.  Loring,  replied.  He  began  with  expressing  his  regret  that  there  was  no 
other  representative  from  the  Litchfield  Law  School  present  to  respond  to  the  compli- 
mentary but  just  notice  of  that  institution. 

"I  do  not  remember,  said  he,  to  have  ever  been  more  forcibly  reminded  of  my 
younger  days,  than  when  looking  around  upon  our  young  friends  in  the  midst  of 
whom  I  stand.  It  recalls  the  time  when  I,  too,  was  a  student  among  numerous  fellow 
students.  It  will,  probably,  be  news  to  them  and  many  others  here,  that  thirty-eight 
years  ago,  which  to  many  here  seems  a  remote  antiquity,  there  existed  an  extensive 
Law  School  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  at  which  more  than  sixty  students  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  were  assembled, — every  State  then  in  the  'Union,  being  there 
represented.  I  joined  it  in  1813,  when  it  was  at  its  zenith,  and  the  only  prominent 
establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  land. 

The  recollection  is  as  fresh  as  the  events  of  yesterday,  of  our  passing  along  the 
broad  shaded  streets  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  villages  of  New  England, 
with  our  inkstands  in  our  hands,  and  our  portfolios  under  our  arms,  to  the  lecture 
room  of  Judge  Gould — the  last  of  the  Romans,  of  Common  Law  lawyers ;  the  imper- 
sonation of  its  genius  and  spirit.  It  was,  indeed,  in  his  eyes,  the  perfection  of  human 
reason — by  which  he  measured  every  principle  and  rule  of  action,  and  almost  every 
sentiment.  Why,  Sir,  his  highest  visions  of  poetry  seemed  to  be  in  the  refinement  of 
special  pleading;  and  to  him,  a  nan  sequitw  in  logic  was  an  offense  deserving,  at  the 
least,  fine  and  imprisonment— and  a  repetition  of  it,  transportation  for  life.  He  was 
an  admirable  English  scholar;  every  word  was  pure  English,  uudefiled,  and  every 
sentence  fell  from  his  lips  perfectly  finished,  as  clear,  transparent,  and  penetrating  as 
light  and  every  rule  and  principle  as  exactly  defined  and  limited  as  the  outline  of  a 
building  against  the  sky.  From  him,  Sir,  we  obtained  clear,  well-defined,  and  accu- 
rate knowledge  of  the  Common  Law,  and  learned  that  allegiance  to  it  was  the  chief 
duty  of  man,  and  the  power  of  enforcing  it  upon  others  his  highest  attainment.  From 
his  lecture  room  we  passed  to  that  of  the  venerable  Judge  Reeve,  shaded  by  an  aged 
elm,  fit  emblem  of  himself.  He  was,  indeed,  a  most  venerable  man,  in  character  and 
appearance— his  thick,  gray  hair  parted  and  falling  in  profusion  upon  his  shoulders, 
his  voice  only  a  loud  whisper,  but  distinctly  heard  by  his  earnestly  attentive  pupils. 
He,  too,  was  full  of  legal  learning,  but  invested  the  law  with  all  the  genial  enthusi- 
asm and  generous  feelings  and  noble  sentiments  of  a  large  heart  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
ty, and  descanted  to  us  with  glowing  eloquence  upon  the  sacredness  and  majesty 
of  law.  He  was  distinguished,  Sir,  by  that  appreciation  of  the  gentler  sex  which 
never  tails  to  mark  the  true  man,  ami  his  teachings  of  the  law  in  reference  to  their 
rights  and  to  the  domestic  relations,  had  great  influence  in  elevating  and  refining  the 
sentiments  of  the  young  men  who  were  privileged  to  hear  him.  As  illustrative  of 
his  feelings  and  manner  upon  this  subject,  allow  me  to  give  a  specimen.  He  was  dis- 
cussing the  legal  relations  of  married  women:  he  never  called  them,  however,  by  so 
inexpressible  a  name,  but  always  spoke  of  them  as,  "the  better  half  of  mankind," 
or  in  some  equally  just  manner.  When  he  came  to  the  axiom  that  "  a  married 
woman  has  no  will  of  her  own; "  this,  he  said,  was  a  maxim  of  great  theoretical  im- 


SOUTH   FARMS   SOCIETY.  259 

portance  for  the  preservation  of  the  sex  against  the  undue  influence  or  coercion  of  the 
husband;  but,  although  it  was  an  inflexible  maxim,  in  theory,  experience  taught  us 
that  practically  it  was  found  that  they  sometimes  had  wills  of  their  own— most  hap- 
pily for  us. 

Wo  left  his  lecture  room,  Sir,  the  very  knight  errants  of  the  law,  burning  to  bo  the 
defenders  of  the  right  and  the  avengers*  of  the  wrong;  and  he  is  do  true  -on  of  the 
Litchfield  School  who  has  ever  forgotten  that  lesson.     I  propose,  Sir 

The  Memories  of  Judge  Reeve  and  Judge  Gould, — among  the  first,  if  not  the  first 
founders  of  a  National  Law  School  in  the  United  States— who  have  laid  one  of  the 
corner  stones  in  the  foundation  of  true  American  patriotism,  loyalty  to  the  law. 


SOUTH  FARMS. 


From  1740  to  1767,  the  people  residing  in  the  southern  section  made  several  unsuc- 
cessful applications  to  the  Legislature — first,  "to  be  annexed  to  the  north  society  of 
Woodbury;  second,  to  be  allowed  what  were  termed  ''winter  privileges;"  and, 
finally,  to  be  set  off  as  a  distinct  ecclesiastical  society.  In  December,  1760,  the  in- 
habitants of  South  Farms,  having  obtained  permission  of  the  Legislature  "to  enjoy 
the  privileges  of  a  winter  parish  for  three  months  in  a  year,"  asked  the  town  to  be  re- 
leased from  a  part  of  their  tax  for  building  the  meeting-house  on  the  Hill.  Whereupon 
it  was  voted  in  town  meeting,  that  "in  case  South  Farms  shall  become  a  distinct 
ecclesiastical  society  within  forty-five  years,  the  town  will  payback  to  said  society 
the  money  advanced  by  said  winter  parishioners  toward  building  said  meeting- 
house." In  1701,  the  Legislature  voted  that  the  inhabitants  of  South  Farms  "be 
allowed  to  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them  for  four  months  in  the  winter  Beason, 
and  shall  have  liberty  to  build  a  meeting-house;"  and  three  years  later,  they  voted 
to  build  a  winter  house  35  feet  long,  25  feet  wide,  with  nine  feet  posts,  "provided  Jus- 
tus Gibhs  will  do  it  for  .£70:  10." 

In  1767,  the  society  of  South  Farms  was  duly  incorporated,  and  its  inhabitants  have 
since  transacted  their  ecclesiastical  and  educational  affairs  separately  from  (hose 
residing  jn  other  portions  of  the  town.  The  act  of  1857,  it  should  be  remarked, 
restores  to  the  town  all  business  relating  to  schools.  The  first  person  buried  in  that 
Bart  of  the  town,  was  Mr.  James  Stoddard,  who  was  killed  at  the  raising  of  a  dwell- 
ing house.  I  have  already  given  specimens  of  the  orthography  of  certain  portion-  <<i 
the  town  records.  The  records  of  South  Farms's  Society  were  by  no  means  an 
improvement  upon  them.  For  instance,  on  the  14th  of  March.  17">9,  the  societ 
"to  pay  Charles  Woodruff  six  shillings  for  Bears  to  carry  ye  dead."  In  L769,  it 
was  voted  "  that  we  think  the  sealing  ordinances  arc  equally  sacred,  and  any  person 
that  is  qualified  for  one  is  qualified  for  both."  In  1770,  "voted  that  we  approve  of 
the  church  vote,  viz.,  that  conversion  should  not  be  a  term  for  admission  tor  church 
communion."  In  1776,  the  town  granted  to  Thomas  Waugh,  and  his  heir-;  forever, 
the  right  to  use  a  certain  burying  ground  in  South  Farms  for  pasturing,  "provided 
he  or  thev  shall  keep  up  and  maintain  convenient  hart  for  the  people  to  pass  and  re- 
pass for  the  purpose  of  burying  their  dead."  In  1785,  a  new  and  commodious  church 
Was  erected.  In  April  of  that  year,  the  society  voted  that  "the  meeting-house  com- 
mittee shall  have  good  right  to 'furnish  Rum,  Grindstones  and  Ropes,  sufficient  lor  tram- 
inc  the  meeting-house  according  to  their  best  discretion,"  and  in  June,  an  i 
was  appointed  to  direct  the  issue,  of  liquor  at  the  raising,  and  a  vote  at  the  same  time 
was  passed  that  said  overseer  "shall  give  two  drams  a  day  to  the  spectators,  one  a 
little  before  noon,  and  the  other  a  little  before  night."  The  present  church  was  built 
in  1844.     The  present  pastor,  Rev.  David  L.  Parmelee,  was  settled  in  1*41. 

President  Dwioht,  of  Yale  college,  (in  his  Travel-.)  give-  the  following  interesting 
facts  relative  to  this  parish,  and  the  Academy  which  formerly  flourished  there: 

••  Immediately  above  Watcrtown  lies  South  Farm-— the  southern  part  of  Litchfield. 
This  parish  is  principally  a  collection  of  hills,  which  are  high,  moist,  and  excellent 
crrazing  ground.  The  surface  is  plea-ant,  the  houses  good  farmer-'  dwellings,  of 
which  a  little  village  is  formed  around  the  church.  The  inhabitant-  arc  industrious 
and  thrifty;  and  distinguished  for  good  morals,  good  order,  an.  1  decency  ol  deport- 
ment \  flourishing  academy  ha-  been  raised  of  late,  almost  solely  by  the  efforts  ol 
fames  Morris,  fcsq.,  who  i-  atonce  its  founder  and  preceptor.  Tin-  gentleman,  soon 
after  he  bail  finished  his  education  at  Vale  College,  became  an  officer  in  the  American 
armv  in  which  he  continued  throughout  the  revolutionary  war.  Alter  the  peace,  nig 
nare'nts  and  his  patrimony  being  in  this  place,  he  was  induced  to  establish  lum-eii 
here  for  life.  At  his  return,  he  found  the  inhabitants  less  enlightened  and  less  refined 
than  those  of  many  other  parts  of  the  state.  What  in  this  country  is  perhs 
gular  they  regarded  him,  both  as  a  man  liberally  educated  and  as  an  office! 
suspicion  and  alienation.    At  the  same  time  he  perceived,  with  not  a  little  mortifiea- 


200  llisTOltY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 

tion,  that  they  were  in  many  instances  ignorant  and  vicious.  As  he  had  been  absent 
from  his  early  youth,  bis  influence  among  them  was  to  be  created.  With  a  disposi- 
Jon,  which  cannot  be  enough  commended,  he  determined  to  commence  in  form  tin1  work 
of  a  general  reformation.  After  various  experiments,  sufficiently  discouraging,  among 
those  who  have  arrived  at  middle  ape,  he  turned  his  attention  to  their  children;  and 
hoped  by  communicating  to  them  the  advantages  of  a  well-directed  education  to 
furnish  their  minds  with  both  knowledge  and  virtue,  and  thus  to  transform  their 
character  into  amiableness  and  worth.  For  this  benevolent  purpose  he  founded  the 
institution  which  I  have  mentioned.  In  this  Academy  it  has,  from  the  first,  been  the 
commanding  object  to  inculcate  the  best  principles  of  morality  and  religion,  and  to 
require  of  the  students  an  unexceptionable  deportment.  The  youths  of  both  sexes, 
usually  assembled  here  from  various  parts  of  the  country,  are  in  number  from  40  to 
70.  Mr.  Morris  has  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  expectations  more  than  realized. 
Not  only  were  the  benefits  of  his  design  realized  by  the  inhabitants  of  South  Farms, 
But  they  are  spread  also  through  most  parts  of  the  country,  and  extensively  through 
this  ;uid  the  neighboring  states.  This  is  one  among  the  proofs  furnished  by  experience 
of  the  power  possessed  by  an  individual,  of  spreading  around  him,  if  properly  dis- 
posed, the  best  blessing  of  society." 


St.  Paul's  Masonic  Lodge. 


The  first  Charter  of  this  Lodge  was  obtained  from  the  R.  W.Joseph  Webb, "  Grand 
Master  of  Masons  in  America,"  then  residing  in  Boston,  and  bears  date  June  1,  1781. 
It  was  granted  on  petition  of  the  following  persons,  viz,  Rev.  James  Nichols,  John 
Watkins,  Thomas  Philips,  Eaton  Jones,  Benjamin  Hanks,  John  Collins,  Noah  Blakes- 
lee,  Wm.  Durkee,  Daniel  Starr,  John  Colvill,  Jonathan  Kettle,  Josiah  Norton  and 
Adino  Hale — about  half  of  whom  belonged  in  this  town,  the  remainder  in  Goshen  and 
Harwinton.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Lodge  was  held  June  13,  1781 — the  Rev.  Ashbel 
Baldwin  presiding  as  Master.  The  following  other  offieers  were  chosen — Benjamin 
Hanks,  S.  W. ;  Eaton  Jones,  J.  W. ;  John  Collins,  Treasurer;  and  J.  Kettle,  Secre- 
tary. On  the  15th  of  October,  1790,  the  Lodge  received  a  new  charter  from  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  State,  in  which  it  is  designated  as  "  St.  Paul's  Lodge,  No.  11."  It  has 
numbered  among  its  members  some  of  our  most  eminent  citizens. 

The  following  the  present  officers  of  the  Lodge: — David  E.  Bostwick,  W.  M.;  P. 
D.  Beeman,  S.'W.;  Levi  Curtis,  J.  W.;  Charles  L.  Webb,  Treasurer;  Wm.  H.  Cross- 
man,  Secretary;  Henry  A.  Hull,  S.  D. ;  George  Munger,  J.  D.;  Edward  Crossman 
and  .George  Horace  Baldwin,  Stewards ;  Sheldon  Munger,  Tyler. 


TOWN  DEPOSIT  FUND. 

This  fund  was  derived  from  the  Surplus  Revenue  in  the  Treasury  of  the  United 
States,  which,  by  an  act  of  Congress  passed  in  1836,  was  distributed  among  the  seve- 
ral states  in  proportion  to  their  representation  in  that  body.  The  share  belonging  to 
Connecticut  was,  by  order  of  the  Legislature,  apportioned  to  the  several  towns  in  the 
state  according  to  their  population.  The  amount  thus  given  to  Litchfield  was 
$11,444.50.  The  town  appointed  Isaac  Lawrence  to  be  Treasurer,  and  Theron  Beach 
and  George  C.  Woodruff  to  be  Managers  of  the  Town  Deposit  Fund.  On  the  9th  of 
April,  1S3S,  the  town  voted  to  appoint  a  committee  of  seven  to  direct  in  what  manner 
the  interest  of  the  Fund  should  be  divided  among  the  several  school  districts  of  the 
town;  and  Messrs.  Putnam,  Kilbourn,  James  M.  Pierpont,  Dan  Catlin,  William  Bas- 
sett,  Edward  Pierpont,  Frederick  Buel  and  0.  S.  Seymour,  were  appointed  said  com- 
mittee. The  Fund  is  invested  in  promissory  notes,  secured  by  mortgage,  and  in  town 
orders.     The   annual   interest  is  $6S6.67,  which  is  appropriated   to  the   support  of 

schools.  

MINERAL  SPRING. 

In  August,  1820,  James  Pierce,  Esq.,  announced  in  Silliman's  Journal  of  Science 
that  he  had  discovered  a  valuable  Mineral  Spring  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Prospect 
Mountain,  in  this  town.  The  waters  of  the  Pool  (as  it  was  called,)  soon  became 
celebrated  for  their  medicinal  virtues,  and  a  House  was  erected  near  by  for  the  accom- 
modetion  of  visitors.  In  March.  1821,  it  is  stated  in  Silliman's  Journal  that  the  wa- 
ter- of  this  spring  had  •'effected  cures  of  obstinate  rheumatic  complaints  that  had 
resisted  ordinary  remedies;"  and  that  they  had  "  been  sent  fir  weekly  from  Hartford, 
and  were  considered  equal  to  those  of  the  Stafford  Spring."  The  Pool  is  now  more 
often  visited  by  the  lovers  of  wild  and  picturesque  scenery,  than  for  its  waters. 


ILLUSTRIOUS  GUESTS.— I  have  elsewhere  referred  to  the  visits  of  Washington 
and  LaFayette  to  this  town.  In  1807,  Jerome  Bonaparte,  with  his  young  American 
wife,  came  '  with  coach  and  four,'  and  put  up  at  Catlin's  Hotel.  About  1820,  the  Hon. 
Martin  Van  Buren  came  here  on  a  visitwith  his  friend,  Judge  Skinner— spending  the 
Sabbath,  and  attending  Dr.  Beecher's  church.  July  16,  1832,  the  Hon.  John  Quincy 
Adams  arrived  in  town  and  spent  the  night  here. 


MISCELLANEOUS   ITEMS. 


261 


" Litchfield,  October  30th,  1797.— We  the  subscribers,  having  at  our  own  ex- 
pense, erected  a  Church  in  the  Western  Part  of  Litchfield,  and  being  desirous  of 
Forming  ourselves  into  an  Episcopal  Society,  hereby  lay  before,  request,  and  peti- 
tion the  meeting  of  the  First  Episcopal  Society  in  said  Litchfield,  to  give  their  eon- 
sent  to  this  request,  and  in  future  exempt  us  from  paying  taxes  to  the  First  Episco- 
pal Society — upon  condition  of  our  organizing  and  taxing  ourselves.  All  of  which 
we  submit  to  said  meeting  in  brotherly  love. 


Isaac  Kilbourn, 

David  Kilbourn, 
Sylvanus  Bishop, 
Solomon  Kilbourn, 
John  Landon, 
Jesse  Kilhourn, 
John  Tryon, 
Heber  S 

Orange  Killiourn, 
James  Killiourn, 
Nathaniel  Smith  2d, 
Levi  Kilbourn, 
Simeon  Palmer, 
Elisha  S.  Munger, 
dames  Glass, 
Horace  Stone, 
Samuel  Denison, 
dame-  Lee, 


Philander  Westover, 
Chauncey  Killiourn, 
Heman  Kilbourn, 
John  Kilbourn, 
Benjamin  Doolittle, 
Reuben  Smith  2d, 
James  Adams, 
Newell  Miller, 
Remembrance  Landon, 
Arunah  Blakeslee, 

Kilbourn, 
Frederick  Hunt, 

Samuel   Woodcock, 

'1  baddeus  Stooker, 

Noah  Stone,  2d, 
Samuel  Hazen, 
Jesse  Stoddard, 

Jehial  I 
Jonathan  Bishop, 


I  Burgess, 
Benjamin  Bissell,  3d, 

Smith, 
Chauncey  Denison, 
Phineas  Smith, 
David  Westover, 
\\  ail  Smith, 
Samuel  Carter, 
Abel  Glemons, 
Anson  Smith. 
Lumbert  Johnson, 
Daniel  Baskins 
David  Kenney, 
Joseph  Westover, 

lb  Kilbourn, 
Nathaniel  Smith, 
Milo  Hunt, 


Benjamin  Johnson,  Jr., 
A  true  Copy  of  Record. 

N.  B.     The  above  petition  was  granted  the  6th  day  of  November,  1T:>7. 

Si;  1'il  LANDON  Cleric." 


Miscellaneous  Items. 

BENEFACTIONS. — The  lot  on  which  stands  St.  Michael's  church,  in  South  street, 
was  the  gift,  in  1809,  of  Samuel  Marsh,  Esq.,  of  Norfolk,  \'a.,  a  native  of  this  town. 

The  Town  Clock  in  the  tower  of  the  first  church,  was  presented  to  the  society  by 
the  late  Dr.  Abel  Catlin. 

Mr.  Nath'l  Bosworth,  (a  member  of  the  West  Episcopal  society  of  this  town,)  died 
in  180J,  leaving  a  bequest  of  .£100  for  the  purchase  of  a  bell  for  the  West  Church. 
The  bell  purchased  with  this  sum  is  still  iu  use  in  St.  Paul's  church,  Bantam. 

In  1843,  Messrs.  Hugh  P.  and  Garry  Welch  presented  the  Episcopal  society  in  Milton 
with  the  bell  which  is  now  in  use  in  the  church  of  that  parish. 

Mr.  Solomon  Marsh,  soon  after  the  completion  of  the   first  Episcopal  church-edifice 
iu  this  village,  presented  that  society  with  an  Organ  at  a  cost  of  $800. 

Asa  Hopkins,  Esq.,  a  native  and  resident  of  this  town,  died  in  1838.  In  his  will,  he 
gave  the  use  of  his  property  to  his  wife  during  her  life.  At  her  decease,  (after  the 
payment  of  certain  legacies,')  he  bequeathed  the  residue  of  his  property  to  the  congre- 
gational church  and  society  in  Northfield.  Mi--.  Hopkins  died  in  1865.  The  whole 
amount  received  by  the  said  church  and  society,  from  Mr.  Hopkins'  estate,  is  $10,000. 

K.vecutioxs. — It  i-  believed  that  no  native  of  Litchfield  was  ever  convicted  of 
murder:  and  that  wilful  murder  was  never  committed  by  or  upon  a  white  man,  with- 
in the  limits  of  this  town.  In  17'is,an  Indian  named  John  Jacob  was  hanged  for  the 
murder  of  another  Indian.  In  November,  1785,  Thomas  (Joss,  ,,f  Barkhamsted,  was 
executed  for  the  murder  of  his  wife.    In  these  days  he  would  have  been  acquitted 

ground  of  insanity.     On  the  plea  that  hi-  wife  was  a  witch,  he  split  her  head 

ith  an  axe.     Though  at  time-  apparently  rational,  he  sometimes  declared  that 
the  second  Lamb  of  God— that Tie  wa     brother  of  Jesus  Christ— that  he  was 

i]  ;  born  of  the  woman,  mentioned  in  the  Revelation  of  St.  John,  '  before  whom 
the  dragon  stood  ready  to  devour  the  child:'  he  forbid  his  counsel  to  apply  for  a  re- 
prieve;  declared  the  sheriff  could  not  hang  bim,  &c.  Mavs  1780, Barnet  Daven- 
port, aged  aOyearS,  was  executed  for  murder  and  arson  in  Washi  Mini:  as 
a  laborer  in  the  family  of  Caleb  Mallorv.  he  entered  the  sleeping  room  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

.  al  midnight  and  beat  them  to' death  with  a  club;  and  their  little  grandchild 
shared  the  same  fate.    After  robbing  the  house  and  setting  it  on  fire,  the  murderer 

aving  two  other  pe  i  who  perished  in  the  flames.    These  p 

is  understood,  were  ;  ane,.in  this  village.     Other  convictions  for 

capital  crime-  have  taken  place  before  our  courts,  but  these  are  the  only  individuals 
who  have  ever  suffered  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law  in  this  county. 


262  HISTOEY  OP  LITCHFIELD. 

JAMES  WATSON,  from  this  county,  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1776;  was  lieu- 
tenant of  a  revolutionary  company  raised  chiefly  in  Litchfield.  After  the  war,  lie 
settled  in  New  York—became  wealthy,  was  Speaker  of  the  House,  state  Senator, 
Naval  Officer,  and  U.  S.  Senator;  and"  died  in  1806.  Where  was  he  horn  V  The.  late 
Douglas  Watson,  Esq,  (assistant  clerk  o'  our  courts,)  expressed  to  me  his  belief  that 
he  was  barn  in  tins  town.  In  a  retired  little  grave-yard,  about  half  a  mile  south  of 
Bantam  Lake,  is  a  red  sandstone  tablet  bearing  the  following  inscription,  viz.,  "To 
the  Uemory  of  Mr.  John  Watson,  who  died  November  9,  1781,  in  the  74th  year  of  his 
age.  Berthyafa  Watson,  his  widow,  died  Jnne  24th,  1792,  in  the  85th  year  of  her  age. 
This  monument  is  respectfully  erected  by  James  Watson,  their  youngest  son."  The 
Hon.  James  Watson  died  in  New  York  in  1806. 

Obituaries. 

In  Litchfield,  April,  1773,  Col.  Ebenezer  Marsh,  Esq.,  aged  72. 

In  Litchfield,  Dec.  3,  1805,  Capt.  William  Stanton,  aged  78 — commander  of  a  com- 
pany in  Sheldon's  regiment  of  light  dragoons  in  the  Revolution,  and  for  more  than  40 
years  a  resident  of  this  town. 

In  Litchfield,  July  30,  1802,  Reynold  Marvin,  Esq.,  aged  78— King's  Attorney  for  the 
county  previous  to  the  Revolution. 

In  Litchfield,  June  6,  1821,  Capt.  Joseph  Mansfield,  aged  84— an  officer  in  the  regi- 
ments of  colonels  Meigs  and  Douglas  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  from  New  Haven, 
but  settled  in  this  town  soon  after  the  war. 

At  Spadre  Bluffs,  on  the  Arkansas  river,  near  Little  Rock,  Aug.  1,  1822,  Colonel 
Matthew  Lyon,  aged  75 — a  native  of  Wicklow  county,  Ireland.  In  1761,  at  the  age 
14,  he  came  to  this  country  poor  and  friendless,  and  was  sold  to  pay  his  passage,  to 
Mr.  Hugh  Hannah,  of  Litchfield,  (who  is  said  to  have  lived  at  tlie  time  on  the  farm 
owned  and  occupied  by  the  late  Mr.  Grant  WIckwire,  a  mile  south  of  Bantam  Lake.) 
Mat.  was  rough  and  independent;  and  Hannah  was  a  severe  disciplinarian,  and  not 
[infrequently  applied  the  rod  to  his  refractory  servant.  At  length  an  altercation  en- 
sued— Mat.  threw  a  mallet  at  the  head  of  his  master,  and  fled.  He  was  soon  heard 
from  in  Vermont,  where,  among  the  hardy  mountaineers,  he  became  a  leader.  He 
was  Deputy  Secretary  to  the  governor  and  council,  clerk  of  the  court  of  confiscation, 
Representative  in  the  legislature,  colonel  of  militia,  editor  of  a  newspaper,  associate 
Judge  of  the  Rutland  county  court,  and,  in  1796,  was  elected  to  Congress;  and  re- 
elected in  1798.  Removing  to  Kentucky  in  1800,  he  was  returned  to  Congress  from 
that  State  from  1803  to  1310.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Gov.  Chittenden  of  Vermont. 
His  son,  Chittenden  Lyon,  who  was  for  eight  years  a  member  of  congress  from  Ken- 
tucky, was  one  of  the  most  popular  men  in  that  State;  and  from  him  Lyon  county  was 
named.  Precisely  how  long  Lyon  lived  in  this  town,  is  uncertain.  In  one  of  his  ad- 
dresses  to  his  constituents,  he  says — "  After  living  ten  yenrs  in  Connecticut,  from  my 
15th  to  my  25th  year,  I  removed  to  a  new  settlement  in  Vermont."  Were  all  of 
these  'ten  years'  spent  in  Litchfield?  Hannah  was  living  here  eight  or  ten  years  after 
Lyon  first  took  his  seat  in  congress,  and  was  fond  of  talking  about  him ;  attributing  his 
success  in  life  to  the  corporeal  lessons  which  he  had  given  him.  The  price  paid  by 
Hannah  for  Mat.  was  a  pair  of  stags  valued  at  .£12 — a  fact  which  gave  rise  to  many  a 
coarse  jest  at  the  expense  of  the  latter. 

At  Jackson,  Mississippi  Territory,  Sept.  1827,  Col.  Stephen  Ranncy,  U.  S.  A.,  aged 
68 — formerly  for  more  than  20  years,  a  resident  of  Litchfield. 

In  Litchfield,  Sept.  16,  1839,  the  Hon.  Phineas  Miner,  aged  60 — a  distinguished  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  of  this  countv,  and  late  member  of  congress. 

In  Phelps,  Ontario  co.,  N.  Y.,  July  17,  1841,  Colonel  David  McNiel,  aged  53— late  a 
Judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  for  that  county.     He  was  a  native  of  this  town. 

In  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  May  14,  1842,  Jesse  Kilbourn,  aged  64,  a  native  of  Litchfield. 
For  more  than  25  years  he  was  in  public  life  in  that  town — as  Trustee  and  President 
of  tin-  corporation  of  Cazenovia,  Postmaster,  Representative,  &C 

In  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  May  24  1846,  Col.  Joseph  L.  Smith,  aged  70 — formerly 
a  colonel  in  the  army,  and  more  recently  U.  S.  Judge  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Florida. 
From  1800  to  1817,  (except  a  year  or  two,)  he  resided  in  this  town.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Ephraim  Kirby. 

In  Geneseo,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  28,  1846,  Samuel  W.  Spencer,  Esq.,  aged  76 — a  native  of 
Litchfield.     He  had  been  a  magistrate,  and  Surrogate  of  Livingston  county. 

In  Litchfield,  January  10,  1852,  Miss  Sarah  Pierce,  aged  84.  In  1792,  she  established 
the  Litchfield  Female  Academy,  which  became  one  of  the  most  celebrated  institutions 
in  the  country.  She  remained  connected  with  it  until  1832 — though  for  a  few  years 
previous,  her  nephew,  John  P.  Brace,  Esq.,  was  the  Principal.  More  than  2,500  young 
ladies  and  misses  were  membersof  the  Academy.  It  was  incorporated  in  1827.  The 
on  of  Mi<s  Pierce  have  been  Misses  Swift,  Jones,  Heyden,  and  others. 

In  Hartford,  Nov.  10, 1858,  the  Hon.  Amos  M.  Collins,  aged  70 — an  eminent  merchant 
and  philanthropist.  From  1843  to  1846,  inclusive,  he  was  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Hart- 
ford.    He  was  a  son  of  Dea.  Wm.  Collins,  and  was  born  in  Litchfield,  March  30,  1788. 


BIOGRAPHY.  263 

BIOGRAPHICAL  ADDENDA. 

CHILDS,  Samuel  R.,  M.  D.,  (son  of  Mr.  Timothy  Child-.)  was 
born  in  Dutches  county,  N.  Y.,  September  25,  1800.  When  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  about  five  years  old,  his  father  purchased  the 
mansion  and  farm  now  known  as  the  Childs  Place,  four  miles  north  of 
the  Litchfield  Court  House,  and  at  once  removed  his  family  there. 
Dr.  Childs  graduated  at  the  Medical  College  in  Pittsfield,  Mass., 
and  subsequently  pursued  bis  studies  at  the  Institution  connected  with 
Yale  College.  In  May,  1825,  he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fessioD  in  this  village,  and  remained  here  until  January,  1832,  when 
he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  soon  had  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  business.  He  was  appointed  Physician  to  the  City  Dis- 
pensary, one  of  the  Surgeons  of  the  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  Physician 
t<>  the  Bellvue  Hospital,  Health  Olficer  of  the  city,  &c.  Though  en- 
thusiastically attached  to  his  chosen  profession,  and  one  of  its  most 
learned  and  skillful  practioners,  his  energies  have  not  been  devoted 
exclusively  to  it.  In  1838,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  Commis- 
sioners of  the  Croton  Water  Board.  The  magnitude  of  the  work  com- 
mitted to  their  care  will  be  appreciated,  when  it  is  known  that  it 
required  the  expenditure  of  some  §10,000,000,  all  of  which  passed 
through  their  hands.  He  was  long  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Kdu- 
cation  ;  and  two  or  three  times  he  was  nominated  for  Congress  in  the 
Third  District,  but  declined.  In  1840,  and  again  in  1S53,  Dr.  Childs 
visited  Europe,  pursuing  his  professional  investigations  in  the  various 
hospitals  of  that  country.  With  an  ample  fortune,  he  has  retired 
to  a  beautiful  residence  near  Saratoga  Springs.  Colonel  Heman  W. 
Childs,  his  brother,  after  being  for  several  years  a  merchant  and 
manufacturer  in  Litchfield,  removed  to  New  York  in  1834,  where 
he  was  chosen  a  Representative,  Collector  of  the  City  Revenue,  and 
Commissioner  of  Streets  and  Lamps ;  he  died  in  1851, 

GALPIN,  Robert  E..  (son  of  Mr.  Amos  Galpin,)  was  born  in 
Litchfield  ;  settled  in  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  where  lie  still  resides.  Be- 
sides holding  various  town  ollices.  In;  was  chosen  a  Representative  in 
ls44  and  again  in  1845  ;  and  for  the  last  twelve  years,  he  has  been 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  1852,  he  was  elected  President  of  the 
Housatonic  Agricultural  Society. 

STOWE,  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher,  (daughter  of  the  Rev.  Lyman 
Beecher,  D.  D.,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  and  married  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Stowe,  now  Professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover.  She 
is  the  author  of  The  May  Flower,  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  Dred — a  Tale 
of  the  Dismal  Swamp,  Sunny  Memories  of  Foreign  Lands,  &C. 
Each  of  these  works,  except  the  first,  is  published  in  two  volumes. 
Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  has  had  a  much  more  rapid  sale  than  any  other 
American  work.  Her  tour  through  England  and  Scotland,  a  few 
years  since,  was  like  a  continued  ovation.  Wherever  she  went,  she 
was  welcomed  with  public  addresses,  private  invitations,  assemblies 
and  festivals  ;  indeed,  the  aristocracy  and  peasantry  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  do  honor  to  their  distinguished  guest. 
No  other  lady  from  this  side  of  the  ocean  was  ever  received  by  them 
with  such  enthusiasm. 


264  HISTORY  OF  LITCHFIELD. 

WADSWORTH,  General  Elijah,  was  born  in  Hartford,  Nov.  14, 
1747:  settled  in  Litchfield  previous  to  the  Revolution  ;  was  Captain 
in  Sheldon's  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons  during  nearly  the  entire 
war.     In  1795,  he  associated  himself  with  Messrs.  Ephraim  Kirby, 

Elijah  Boardiuan,  Uriel  Holmes,  seu'r  and  jun'r,  and  Samuel  A. 
Law,  in  organizing  the  Connecticut  Land  Company  and  purchasing 
the  Western  Reserve;  and  the  town  of  Wadsworth,  in  Medina  coun- 
tv,  was  named  from  him.  On  the  15th  of  September,  1802,  he  started 
from  Litclifield  with  his  family  for  Ohio,  arriving  at  Canfield  on  the 
17th  of  October — thus  making  the  journey  in  33  days.  In  January, 
1803,  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Trumbull  county  ;  and  about  a  year 
later,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature  Major  General  of  the  4th 
Division.  By  the  surrender  of  Hull  in  August,  1812,  the  defense  of 
the  entire  North  Western  Frontier  of  Ohio  devolved  upon  General 
Wadsworth.  He  soon  organized  a  force  1,500  men  from  his  Division, 
placed  them  under  the  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  Perkins,  who  reported 
them  to  General  Harrison.  In  November,  General  Wadsworth  re- 
turned from  the  frontiers  in  feeble  health — having  reached  the  age  of 
65.  In  the  summer  of  1815,  he  had  a  paralytic  shock  which  dis- 
abled him  thereafter.  He  died  in  Canfield,  Ohio,  Dec.  30,  1*17,  in 
his  71st  year.  He  married  Rhoda  Hopkins,  of  Litchfield,  Feb.  16th, 
1789,  and  had  five  children,  all  born  in  this  town.  One  of  these, 
Frederick,  of  Akron,  Ohio,  was  Major  and  Inspector  in  the  war  of 
1812;  has  since  been  Sheriff  of  Portage  County,  Senator,  &c. 

WRIGHT,  George  F.,  the  celebrated  artist,  was  born  of  Litch- 
field parents  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Washington,  and  was  brought 
up  from  childhood  in  this  town.  In  1856,  he  received  a  commission 
from  the  Legislature  of  his  native  State,  to  paint  the  portraits  of  all 
the  chief  magistrates  who  have  filled  the  executive  chair  of  Connec- 
ticut. This  important  and  interesting  work  he  accomplished  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  give  universal  satisfaction.  These  portraits  now 
adorn  the  Senate  Chamber  at  Hartford.  Mr.  Wright  has  since  spent 
two  years  at  Rome  and  Munich,  during  a  large  part  of  which  time  he 
was  a  pupil  of  the  celebrated  Kaulbach.  He  is  the  inventor  of  an 
entirely  new  system  of  coloring,  which  is  said  by  competent  judges  to 
be  superior  to  anything  hitherto  in  use.  A  well  known  amateur, 
writing  recently  from  Europe  to  the  New  York  Home  Journal,  says 
— "I  saw  in  a  studio,  a  few  days  since,  two  small  works  by  a  Connec- 
ticut artist  named  Wright,  which  impressed  me  by  their  wonderful 
beauty  of  color.  I  hesitate  not  to  Bay,  that  one  of  them  equalled  any 
piece  of  flesh  painting  I  ever  saw,  and  I  know  of  no  approach  to  them 
in  modern  art.  If  these  two  productions  are  fair  specimens  of  his 
system  and  powers,  there  has  been  no  greater  colorist  since  Titian." 
Mr.  Wright  is  now  pursuing  his  profession  in  Hartford. 

WESSELLS,  Henry  W.,  Major  U.  S.  Army,  (son  of  Dr.  Ashbel 
Wessells,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  February  20,  1809,  graduated  at 
West  Point  in  1833,  and  entered  the  army  ;is  brevet  second  lieutenant. 
lie  was  actively  engaged  in  the  Creek  war,  in  the  Florida  war,  and 
in  I  he  war  with  Mexico.  For  his  gallant  services  in  the  latter  war, 
he  was  promoted  to  his  present  rank,  and  the  Legislature  of  Connec- 
ticut, in  the  name  of  the  State,  presented  him  with  a  splendid  sword. 


BIOGRAPHY.  265 

BUTLER,  Rev.  David,  D.  D.,  a  native  of  Harwinton,  was  ordained 
Deacon  by  Bishop  Seabury,  June  10,  1792,  and  Presbytia-  June  9, 
1793.  From  November  28,  1794,  to  February  21,  1799,  he  was 
Rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church  in  this  town — during  which  time  he 
lived  in  the  large  red  house  which  then  stood  on  the  West  Plain  op- 
posite the  present  residence  of  Col.  Edwin  Wadhams,  but  which  has 
recently  been  moved  farther  south  and  converted  into  a  barn.  On 
leaving  Litchfield,  Dr.  Butler  was  for  a  few  years  settled  in  Fairfield 
county,  and  thence  removed  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  lie  became  Rector 
of  Trinity  Church.  He  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  at  Washington 
(now  Trinity)  College  in  1832  ;  and  died  in  Troy,  July  11,  1843, 
aged  80  years.  He  married  a  Litchfield  lady,  and  had  ten  children 
— one  of  whom,  the  Rev.  Clement  M.  Butler,  D.  D.,  was  recently 
chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate. 

DICKINSON,  Anson,  a  celebrated  miniature  artist,  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  April  9,  1779  ;  and,  after  residing  abroad  for  about  forty 
years,  he  returned  to  his  native  town,  and  died  here,  March  9,  1853. 
His  brother,  Andrew  Dickinson,  born  in  this  town  January  13,  1802, 
resides  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  He  is  the  author  of  The  City  of  the 
Dead,  and  Other  Poems  ;  and  of  an  interesting  volume  entitled,  My 
First  Visit  to  .Europe,  which  has  reached  a  third  edition. 

GUERNSEY.  Egbert,  M.  I).,  (son  of  Mr.  Noah  Guernsey,  or 
Garnsey,)  was  born  in  Litchfield,  July  8,  1823,  and  received  his 
medical  degree  at  the  New  York  University  in  184G.  He  is  the  au- 
thor of  a  History  of  the  United  States,  for  the  use  of  Schools,  (500 
pages,)  of  which  about  75,000  copies  have  been  sold  ;  also,  of  a  work 
entitled,  Practice  of  Medicine,  (QUO  pages,)  which  has  reached  a  third 
edition  in  this  country,  and  has  been  re-published  in  England.  His 
Gentleman's  Hand-Book  of  Homeopothy,  first  published  in  1855,  has 
reached  a  second  edition.  Dr.  Guernsey  is  Professor  of  the  Princi- 
ples and  Practice  of  Medicine  in  the  American  College  of  Medical 
Science,  and  a  medical  practitioner  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

PARMELEE,  David,  from  Durham,  married  Lucy,  daughter  of 
of  Ozias  Lewis,  Esq.,  of  tins  town,  Jan.  22,  1795,  and  immediately 
settled  here  as  a  lawyer.  In  1806,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Jefferson  to  the  office  of  Judge  of  the  Court  for  the  settlement  of  Land 
Claims  in  the  then  newly-acquired  Territory  of  Louisiana.  The 
Monitor  (a  federal  paper)  of  March  19,  of  that  year,  in  announcing 
the  appointment,  expresses  its  belief  that  "  a  more  correct,  judicious 
and  unexceptionable  appointment  to  office,  has  never  been  made  by 
Mr.' Jefferson."  Judge  Pai melee  died  in  this  town  in  May,  1811, 
aged  45 — leaving  six  children,  viz.,  David  L.,  (now  pastor  of  the 
church  in  South  Farms,)  Julia,  (m.  Hosea  AVebster,  Esq.,  of  Brook- 
lyn. N.  Y.,)  Thomas  J.,  Caroline,  Albert  O.,  and  Celeste. 

SMITH,  Truman,  a  native  of  Roxbury,  and  a  graduate  of  Yale 
college,  resided  in  Litchfield  nearly  forty  years,  but  removed  to 
Stamford  in  1854.  While  one  of  our  citizens,  he  served  as  a  Rep- 
resentative three  years,  a  member  of  Congress  eight  years,  and  U.  S. 
Senator  five  years — having  resigned   the   latter  office  in   1854.     In 


26(i 


HISTORY   OF   LITCHFIELD. 


1850,  President  Taylor  tendered  him  a  place  in  his  cabinet  as  Secre- 
tary7^ the  Interior,  but,  as  he  preferred  remaining  in  the  Senate,  the 
offer  was  declined.  Mr.  S.  is  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  Union. 
WELCH,  Wm.  H.,  (son  of  John  Welch,  Esq.,)  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, June  1,  1805;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1827;  was  for 
some  years  a  lawyer  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  and  while  there,  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  that  State.  Re- 
moving thence  to  Minnesota,  he  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  of  that 
Territory  by  President  Pierce,  anil  continued  in  office  until  her  ad- 
mission into  the  Union  as  a  State. 


Clerks  and  Treasurers  of  the  1st  JEpiscopal  Society  in  Litchfield, 
1785  to  1859. — Clerks. — Seth  Landon,  Ozias  Seymour,  Emanuel 
Russell,  Ozias  Lewis,  David  C.  Sanford,  Origen  S.  Seymour,  Fran- 
cis Bacon,  A.  S.  Lewis.  Treasurers. — Heber  Stone,  Samuel  Mc- 
JNiel,  Lewis  Kilbourn,  Moses  Seymour,  Jr.,  Moses  Seymour,  Ozias 
Lewis,  D.  C.  Sanford,  Elihu  Harrison,  Wm.  Porter,  J.  G.  Beckwith. 

gjf3  The  following  resident-Physicians  of  Litchfield  have  been 
Presidents  of  the  County  Medical  Society,  viz.,  William  Buel,  1818. 
seven  years  ;  Reuben  S.  Woodward,  1831,  one  year  ;  Samuel  Buel, 
1837,  one  year;  Manly  Peters,  1842,  one  year;  Charles  Vaill,  1843, 
one  year;  Reuben  M.  Woodruff,  1844,  one  year;  George  Seymour, 
1857,  one  year.  Clerks. — Samuel  Buel,  Samuel  R.  Childs,  Moses 
A.  Lee,  J.  G.  Beckwith,  George  Seymour,  Henry  W.  Buel,  David 
E.  Bostwick.  

A  Meeting  of  the  GIBBS  FAMILY  was  held  at  the  Mansion 
House  in  Litchfield  Feb.  4,  1847 — at  which  The  Gibbs  Association 
of  Connecticut  was  formed.  An  address  was  made  by  John  Cornel- 
ius Gibbs,  Esq.,  of  Liverpool,  England,  relative  to  certain  property 
in  that  country  said  to  belong  to  the  Gibbes  of  America.  Frederick 
Whittlesey,  Esq.,  of  South  Farms,  was  chosen  President  of  the  As- 
sociation ;    and  Frederick  Gibbs,  of  Litchfield,    Treasurer. 

The  Gibbs  Family  was  formerly  very  numerous  in  Litchfield, 
though  but  few  now  remain  among  us.  I  am  informed  that  Freder- 
ick Gibbs,  Esq.,  resides  on  a  farm  which  lias  descended  from  father 
to  son,  in  his  line,  for  138  years.  The  ';  Birch  Staddle,''  which 
formed  one  of  the  corner  bounds  of  the  farm  in  the  early  surveys, 
continued  to  stand  as  a  bound-mark  until  the  autumn  of  185S,  when, 
having  become  a  venerable,  decayed  and  moss-grown  tree,  it  tell ! 

Perpetual  Motion. — At  the  October  session  of  the  Legislature, 
1783,  the  exclusive  right  to  manufacture  Air  Clocks  was  granted  to 
Mr.  Benjamin  Hanks,  of  Litchfield.  The  Memorial  of  Mr.  Hanks 
states  that  "  he  has  invented  and  executed  a  Clock  which  winds  itself 
up  by  the  effects  of  air,  and  will  continue  so  do  without  any  other  as- 
sistance, until  the  parts  thereof  are  destroyed  by  friction." 

SOUTH  FARMS.— Just  as  the  last  form  of  this  book  was  ready  for  the  Press, 
this  parish  was,  by  tin  Act  of  the  Legislature,  incorporated  asa  Town,  and  named 
MOBBIS,  in  honor  of  the  late  James  Morris,  Esq.  With  a  feeling  of  unaffected  re- 
gret,  we  part  with  her  broad  a)§d  beautiful  domains,  and  bid  farewell  to  her  many 
noble  citizens.  Thus  far  her  history  belongs  to  Litchfield — the  Future  is  all  her  own. 
May  her  career  be  as  glorious  in  the  ages  to  come,  as  her  Past  has  been  honorable! 


inn  in  mi  ii  ii 


3  1158  01035  9858 


.^SOU™"*  «EG.ONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
I  ... 


A.H.Catlin      *    000183910   9 


if 


Ma 


WtiBKk 


iSi-i'.' 


m 

warn. 


m 


rang 

Hi 


